


Where You Belong

by wakeupflawless



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: A lot of oral sex, Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage AU, But different strokes for different folks, Daddy Kink, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub Undertones, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Flirting, Light Angst, Light Bondage, Light Knifeplay, Modern times, Not a ridiculous amount of daddy kink but it's there, On Beth's part, Oral Sex, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Rough Sex, Sharing a Bed, Teasing, This fic really won't be for everyone, age gap, somewhat enemies to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:47:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 25,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26397385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wakeupflawless/pseuds/wakeupflawless
Summary: “Marriage?”The question sits heavily and unanswered in the dusty air of the warehouse. One of the men scuffs his boots against the floor, another fumbles with a cigarette lighter. Rio looks around, unimpressed at the group of men he calls his inner circle, his dark gaze finally landing on his right-hand.Mick clears his throat. “To his daughter, an alliance and whatnot.”Unable to contain his laughter, Rio guffaws, shaking his head. He looks amusedly at Mick, who does not offer anything more, and the serious look on his face makes Rio take pause.“You serious?” he asks, still half-believing that this is a practical joke his men are playing on him.“As a heart attack,” Mick answers.Arranged Marriage AU.
Relationships: Beth Boland/Rio
Comments: 104
Kudos: 431





	1. Chapter 1

“Marriage?”

The question sits heavily and unanswered in the dusty air of the warehouse. One of the men scuffs his boots against the floor, another fumbles with a cigarette lighter. Rio looks around, unimpressed at the group of men he calls his inner circle, his dark gaze finally landing on his right-hand.

Mick clears his throat. “To his daughter, an alliance and whatnot.” 

Unable to contain his laughter, Rio guffaws, shaking his head. He looks amusedly at Mick, who does not offer anything more, and the serious look on his face makes Rio take pause. 

“You serious?” he asks, still half-believing that this is a practical joke his men are playing on him. 

“As a heart attack,” MIck answers. 

“What century does this guy think we’re livin’ in?” Rio questions incredulously. “He’s tryin’ to sell off his daughter to form an alliance?” 

“Looks like it,” Mick replies shortly. 

“It’s crazy to us,” Dags speaks up, raising his eyes to meet Rio’s, “But the mob has been inter-marryin’ for years. Arranged marriages.” 

“I don’t need a wife. I need his trucks,” Rio growls, clasping his hands behind his back and beginning to pace. He turns suddenly toward Dags, “Why marriage? What’s the fuckin’ point?” 

Dags shrugs. “Ties families together. Keeps ‘em rich and well protected. ‘Specially when grandchildren come along.” The boys laugh, all except Rio, a sour expression twisting in his features. 

“Dude’s a trip if he thinks I’m marryin’ his daughter,” Rio spits out. “I offered him men and capital in exchange for use of his truckin’ business. It’s a fair deal. Why throw in the daughter?” 

“To sweeten the pot,” Mick says, his lips twitching. “Eddie! Come tell  _ el jefe _ here about the Marks girl.” 

Rio scoffs, waving his hand. “I don’t give a shit about the girl.” 

“You might want to,” Eddie says, sauntering over lazily. Rio eyes him carefully. The kid is too arrogant for his own good, but loyal to a fault ever since Rio snatched him off the streets. He still has that young, boyish charm the rest of them lack. And most importantly he’d gained the trust of John Marks as a soldier in the man’s household and had been spying for Rio for the better part of a year. 

“Yeah? Why’s that?” Rio sneers. 

“Cuz if you don’t marry her he’s gonna give her to the Petrovas.” Eddie says. 

“And cut us out,” Mick finishes. “If Marks gets in bed with those Russian fuckers we’re as good as dead.” 

“Fuck,” Rio snarls, eyes never leading Eddie’s, “How do you know?” 

“Overheard him talkin’ to his wife. She wants to know the fate of her precious girl.” Eddie’s lips twist upward into a grin. 

“This is fuckin’ ridiculous,” Rio sighs. 

“Hey now, boss,” Eddie says cheerfully, blatantly misreading the tense room, “Wait til you see your future wifey.”

Rio glares at the insubordinate little shit, and Eddie finally takes heed of Rio’s murderous gaze, drooping his shoulders and shoving his hands in his pockets. “You’ve seen her?” Rio asks. 

Eddie nods. “Once.” 

“And?” Rio prompts. Eddie finally has the decency to look slightly bashful and clears his throat awkwardly. He holds the full attention of the room, and Rio has had enough of these games. “Spit it out,” 

“She’s, uh,” Eddie flails, “Hot,” he finishes lamely. 

“That’s all you have to say?” Rio rolls his eyes, but his interest is peaked despite himself. He’s only a man, after all. 

“She just graduated from Harvard. Degree in business or some shit.” Eddies shrugs. 

“Harvard? She actually smart or her daddy’s money get her in?” Rio quips, earning a few chuckles from his men. 

_ Just graduated _ ?  _ Shit _ , he thinks. The girl’s barely in her twenties, then, putting Rio about ten years older than her. This whole thing is too weird and fucked-up to process, even for him. 

“All I know is girl’s got a fuckin’ mouth on her,” Eddie says, a smile creeping back on his face, his eyes glinting in the dim lighting of the warehouse, his confidence building again. “Heard her yellin’ on the phone to her boyfriend or somethin’.” 

“Boyfriend.” Rio repeats sharply. 

“Clearly daddy dearest don’t care about that,” Mick says with a laugh. 

Rio swears, pressing a hand against his face and scrubbing down. He moves to sit in a creaky foldable chair, steepling his fingers together, deep in thought. 

“And what does she think about all this?” Rio asks. 

“No idea,” Eddie shrugs. 

Rio sighs, more exhausted from this conversation than the twelve hours he’d spent running around Detroit all day. He’d choose running over talking any day. 

“Tell him I agree to his deal, but don’t need no marriage,” Rio says finally to Mick. 

Mick shifts, watching his boss with an unreadable expression. “He was clear, man. Said those were his terms and he ain’t changin’ them.” 

“Fuck,” Rio growls, leaning back in the chair, eyes turned upward toward the ceiling, as if looking for divine assistance. 

“C’mon, bro,” Dags says, stepping forward, “It’s not like you gotta be faithful to the bitch. Shit, you don’t even have to live with her. But if you don’t tie the knot we’re fucked.” 

And just - Rio just sighs again. What kind of fucked-up game was Marks playing, here? They’re not in the damn 18th century. 

The men await his decision with baited breath, their futures hanging in the balance. 

“Fine,” Rio snaps. “Set a meet.” 

**_Three Months Until the Wedding_ **

The train station is crowded despite the late hour. A baby begins to wail, which sets off a chain reaction of every baby within 500 feet crying as well. Beth sighs, it was going to be a long train ride out west. Her limbs are stiff from the five-hour bus ride from Detroit to Chicago. She hadn’t moved a muscle the whole ride for fear of attracting attention to herself. Now that she’s three hundred miles away from home she can breathe easy.

She had paid cash for her bus and train tickets, naturally. Once she reached California she would have to forge a new identity for herself and get a fake ID. But that was a problem for future Beth. She was so tired all she wanted to do was curl up in a blanket on the train and sleep for the entirety of the cross-country ride.

Sighing, she pulls her hood up over her head, letting a few pieces of brown hair hide her face. She had bought the wig the year before for Halloween, when she had been Belle from  _ Beauty and the Beast _ . The wig had sat discarded among her things after that night, never to be remembered or used again. Until now.

Her eyes scan the station once more, looking for any man who might look out of place. She’s sure her father and Rio had men out searching everywhere for her. Even though she had put some good distance between herself and home she still had to be careful.

“Lookin’ for someone?”

Her heart skips a beat, and she chokes on her own breath. It’s  _ him _ . Turning her head slowly, her terrified blue eyes meet his dark brown ones. He’s plopped down next to her, smiling, with his hand thrown casually around the back of her chair, long legs splayed out in front of him.

Her body tenses, her fight or flight instincts kicking in. He must sense that she’s about to bolt, because a strong hand is suddenly gripping her thigh.

He raises his eyebrows at her playfully. “So where we goin’?”

She takes a few deep breaths, not trusting her voice. Her body is nearly vibrating with tension. Her bottom lip quivers, but she steadfastly ignores it.

“None of your business,” she manages to spit out quietly.

“Oh, see, but I think it is, darlin’. My wife up and leaves in the middle of the night I wanna know where she thinks she’s goin’,”

“I’m not your wife,” she snaps, eyes scanning the crowd, trying to find a friendly face, but her pursuit is futile.

“Fiancé,” he corrects, grinning at her cheekily.

“I’m not your fiancé either,” she hisses.

“Hmmm,” he hums lowly, scanning her face, “You forgot your ring, darlin’,”

“I didn’t forget it,” Beth breathes, her voice shaky.

“Right, right. You just threw it to the bottom of the pool,” Rio informs her, his grin never leaving his handsome face.

“I should have thrown it down the garbage disposal,” she mutters.

“Fishin’ that thing out was a pain in the ass,” he says casually, squeezing her thigh ever so slightly.

“Good,” she murmurs.

“Let’s go, yeah?”

She purses her lips and looks away stubbornly, shaking her head. “No,”

“Elizabeth,” he sighs, feigning annoyance, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. It’s up to you,”

“I’m not going  _ anywhere  _ with you,”

“So hard way?” He asks, his voice light, teasing.

“Fuck off,” she mutters, and Rio is just  _ grinning _ , much to her displeasure.

A horn sounds in the distance and Beth straightens up. People begin to mill over to the platform. It’s 1:30 in the morning; the train is right on time. Rio is looking at her with his eyebrows raised, with a look that says  _ What are you gonna do? _

The train pulls into the station and a crowd begins to form. She sighs, slinking down in her seat, head down. Letting him think she’s choosing the easy way.

“I’m almost disappointed, Elizabeth,” he sighs, patting her knee before moving to stand.

That’s when Beth bolts, trying to disappear into the crowd of people. She pushes past a few, the open doors to the train are  _ so close _ . And then….

“I’m sorry, baby,” a deep, familiar voice shouts behind her, Beth freezes, “I’m so sorry, I messed up, please don’t leave,”

He had created a scene; bystanders look up from their phones to watch as Rio pushes through the crown toward her. He has a remorseful expression on his face, and the younger women are blatantly checking him out.

“I was such an asshole, it’ll never happen again,”

Beth’s feet are glued to the ground as her mouth opens in shock. She opens and closes her mouth, feeling like a fish out of water.

He’s suddenly in front of her, dropping down to one knee and taking her small hand with his big one. Some of the bystanders gasp as he pulls a ring box out of his pocket. When he opens it Beth can hear women sighing around her.

A 3 carat diamond ring is definitely something to sigh about.

“Please put it back on, baby. I can’t live without you,”

Before she can respond he slips the glistening ring on her left hand. Despite the harsh fluorescent lighting of the station it still shines brightly.

Some of the onlookers begin to  _ clap _ . Beth stands there, completely flabbergasted.

“I…” she begins.

Suddenly he jumps to his feet and lifts her dramatically into his arms. He leans in and kisses her firmly, while applause surrounds the train station. An elderly woman actually has tears in her eyes.

“Oh, thank you baby, thank you,” he cries dramatically, “Don’t struggle,” he murmurs in her ear, so only she can hear it.

He strides out of the station, hoots and hollers following them.

Once they reach the empty parking lot Beth kicks and wriggles with a vengeance. But even she knows her efforts are fruitless, he’s much too strong.

“Put me  _ down _ ,” she snaps, pushing against his chest.

“Nope,” he replies as he walks confidently toward his car.

The G Wagon is one of the few cars in the lot and he reaches it easily, pausing before setting her down.

“Don’t try and run,” he warns her, “You know I’ll catch you.”

She gives him the dirtiest look she can muster before he places her on her feet. He watches her as he opens the car door, ushering for her to get in. She hesitates for a moment but ultimately gives in, climbing into the elevated car. Beth scowls as he reaches over and fastens her seatbelt.

Running wouldn’t be worth it; he would only be two steps behind her. He was right; he would easily catch up to her. Then she’d be back to square one and he’d keep a closer eye on her than ever.

The driver’s side door opens and he slips in. She refuses to look at him, instead crosses her arms and looks out the window stubbornly, bracing herself for the long drive back to Detroit.

“So Los Angeles, huh?” He asks casually as he pulls out of the parking lot. “If you wanted to go to LA all you had to do was ask.”

“Fuck you,” she mutters.

“I like to surf,” he says, ignoring her jab, “I’ll teach you.”

“I don’t want to do anything with you,” she snaps.

“Nothin’ at all?” He asks innocently, raising his eyebrows. “Pretty sure you kissed me in your bedroom that day,”

She squawks angrily, snapping her gaze to his. “ _ You  _ kissed  _ me, _ ”

“Hmmm,” he hums in agreement, “But you kissed me back, sweetheart,”

She’s reminded of the distrasous dinner her parents had organized a month ago. It was supposed to be charming - a romantic, love at first sight type of evening. Instead Beth had purposefully spilled red wine down Rio’s shirt, started an all out screaming match with her parents and stormed away from the table before dinner was even served. Fourteen year-old Annie had been absolutely delighted by the theatrics.

Then, despite it all, he’d snuck after her into her bedroom and kissed her, red wine still staining his button up.

“Probably because I took a valium before you came over,” she lies, “I wasn’t in my right mind,”

“Whatever you say.”

They sit in silence for the next half hour, Beth leaning against the window, eyes fluttering. The heat is cranked on high and the cold of the train station has finally melted away. She can feel tears well up in her eyes. She was  _ so close _ . But she holds them back, she’ll be damned if he sees her cry.

She wonders if she can get him to stop at a gas station and make an escape there. It’s 2 in the morning, and she sighs, to herself. There won’t be anyone there to help her anyway. She slides down further in her seat.

“You just gonna sit there and pout the entire ride?” 

Beth doesn’t respond, pressing her face into the glass window stubbornly.

“Take off that wig,” he commands, rolling his eyes.

“No,” she snaps, but regrets it when she sees his smirk; he’s trying to get a rise out of her so she’ll talk. Her lips snap shut again. She fiddles with the radio, settling on a modern pop station.

Rio shuts off the radio by clicking a button on his steering wheel. Beth rolls her eyes.

“So tell me, mami,” he begins, “Did you bring anythin’ wit’ you for protection? A gun? A knife or pepper spray at least?”

“If I had a gun I’d use it on you,” she mutters.

Rio just smiles, but his eyes harden. “So you got no weapon on you?”

“Why?” she snaps, “Afraid I’m gonna try and off you while we’re driving?”

“Nah,” he shakes his head.

“Then what?” she hisses, completely over this conversation.

“I’ll tell you what, Elizabeth,” he says darkly, making her swallow heavily, “There are lotsa people in this world who wanna hurt you to get to me or your father. So next time you’re thinkin’ of pullin’ a little stunt like this, at least bring protection.”

His answer shocks her and she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest once more, glaring straight ahead.

“Maybe in New York,” she snaps. “Not in California,”

“Elizabeth,” he says her name slowly, “You do know your father has enemies crawlin’ around Chicago, right?”

Beth swallows again. “Yes, but I was wearing a disguise.”

“A wig?” he laughs, but not with amusement.

“Listen-”

He cuts her off harshly. “No,  _ you  _ listen, darlin’. You walked right into the lion’s den. You think that train station ain’t monitored by the mafia day and night? Get your head out of your ass,”

“Why do you even care?” she growls.

“Cuz you’re gonna be my wife,” he says firmly, “And that puts you under my protection,”

“I don’t  _ want  _ your protection and I don’t want to be your wife!” she exclaims, blinking back tears.

“That’s too bad, darlin’,”

“I  _ hate  _ you,”

“I’ll grow on you,” 

“Like a fungus maybe,” 

He smirks at that, before his face turns serious once again.

“On the real, carry a gun with you. This ain’t up for discussion,”

“I don’t even know how to use a gun,” she admits.

His expression is unreadable, but his eyes are hard. She can tell he’s actually pissed now.

“That’s gonna change once we’re back,” he promises darkly.

“Whatever,” she mumbles, before leaning her head against the window once more.

Without realizing it she falls asleep, the hum of the radio and light rain pattering against the car lulling her into darkness.

She wakes up to a hand gently shaking her shoulder. “Elizabeth.”

His voice is soft, almost gentle. She blinks hazily, his face is so close to hers. She doesn’t protest when he brushes a finger across her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Where are we?” she slurs sleepily.

“We’re halfway home. Had to stop at a hotel,” he says, “Big accident blocking the highway, won’t be cleared for a few hours,”

“Oh,” she mumbles.

“Want me to carry you inside?”

“No.”

He chuckles. “Didn’t think so. C’mon.”

Beth lets Rio take her backpack and her hand as they walk into the lobby. Most would think it a gesture of love, but Beth knows it’s to keep her from making a break for it. 

A pretty, female receptionist smiles warmly at them.

“Good evening, accident on 94?” she guesses.

“Yep,” Rio gives her a flirtatious smile, and Beth feels something in her snap, but she pushes it down, “Need a room. King bed,”

“Actually we’ll take a double,” Beth says sweetly.

“Trouble in paradise,” Rio says without missing a beat, shaking his head and sighing.

“Sorry but we’re out of doubles for the night,” the receptionist says sympathetically. “Looks like you’ll have to patch things up.”

“Ah, no worries,” Rio says, leaning against the counter, “She’ll come round. Right, mama?”

Beth scowls at him while the receptionist just grins, clearly charmed by the good-looking young couple.

Rio pays cash up front, of course, and the front desk agent hands him two electric key cards, gesturing down the hall to the elevators. Rio thanks her and knocks twice on the counter before tossing her a wink.

He tries to throw his arm around Beth, but she shrugs him off, her compliancy gone as she fully wakes up from her nap.

The room is fairly basic, but large and clean. The giant king bed sits in the center, as if it’s mocking Beth. She’s suddenly exhausted again, but the last thing she wants to do is share a bed with _ Rio _ .

“You’re sleeping on the floor,” she snaps, grabbing her backpack from him.

“I’ll be the perfect gentleman,” he scoffs, placing his hand over his heart, “Unless you don’t want me to.”

Beth groans, before storming into the bathroom, slamming the door shut, Rio’s eyes burning a hole in her back as she walks away. She looks at her tired eyes in the giant mirror, sighing and taking off the itchy wig. Her natural strawberry hair spills over her shoulders.

She kicks off her boots and socks, and peels off her leggings and giant hoodie. She stands in just her bra and panties. The bra was one of her oldest and softest, perfect for a long day of travel - so she’d thought. Stepping out of her underwear, her nipples pebble against the cool air of the bathroom.

The shower water is hot, and surprisingly has great pressure. She puts her hair in a bun, not having the energy to wash it. Plus, the hotel shampoo and conditioner don’t look too promising.

She showers longer than normal, hoping it annoys her soon to be husband. The hair on her neck is slightly damp from the water, and she wraps herself in a fluffy white towel.

Clearly her plan works, because Rio pushes into the bathroom, and she curses herself for not locking the door. Well, even if she had locked the door he definitely would have picked it.

“Can I have some privacy?” she snaps, clutching the towel to her chest.

“Just makin’ sure you ain’t tryna run away again,” he growls, his eyes traveling lewdly over her body.

“Get out.”

He leans against the counter, fully clothed, eyeing her breasts hungrily. Beth holds the towel firmly, swallowing heavily.

Rio moves slowly, letting her see his every movement. He stands in front of her, and gently pushes a strand of hair that escaped from her bun out of her face. His fingers reach out and lightly trail the swell of her breasts. Her chest heaves, nipples pebbling against the towel.

He leans down and kisses her ear, lightly sucking on the sensitive lobe. She can’t help but let out a soft gasp. His lips toy with her ear before moving down her neck, leaving open mouthed kisses on her delicate skin. Her head tilts unconsciously, giving him easier access. He smiles against her neck. 

“I know you want me,” he murmurs. “You’re just too stubborn to admit it.”

She whimpers as he quickly whirls her around so her back is flush against his chest and she’s staring at their reflections in the mirror. Her cheeks are flushed pink, lips parted. His eyes meet hers, and he reaches around to gently pry her hands from the towel.

The towel flutters around her feet, and he lets out a small growl as he takes in her naked form. Her nipples are straining, begging to be touched. He runs his hands up her hips and obliges them, twisting and pinching the rosy buds softly.

Beth arches against him, sticking her chest out more, closing her eyes in pleasure. Heat pools between her legs as he plays with her nipples and sucks on her neck.

“You wet for me, baby?” he mutters darkly in her ear.

All she can do is whimper pathetically, one arm coming up behind them to grip his neck, raising her chest even more.

“Let’s see,”

His fingers move between her legs, softly caressing her wet folds. He hisses as he dips a finger into her wet heat, but pulls it out quickly and she groans at the loss. He brings the slick finger up to her mouth.

“Open,” he commands.

And God help her, but she does, her mouth dropping open. She watches in the mirror through hooded eyes as he slips his wet finger in her mouth.

“Suck.”

His finger is coated in her juices, and she sucks on it lightly, whimpering as she gets wetter by just tasting herself.

“That’s right, baby,” he growls, “Who else can make you feel like this?”

He pulls the finger from her mouth and she finds herself whining. He chuckles, reaching back between her legs and slipping two long fingers inside her again. His fingers torture her tight pussy, slowly pumping in and out. Her body jerks when his thumb brushes her clit.

His fingers are back at her mouth and she opens up eagerly, sucking in his two digits. Their eyes meet in the mirror, and Beth’s face flushes at the sight of them; her completely naked, nipples rock hard and wetness seeping down her thighs, him holding her against him tightly, pushing his fingers in and out of her mouth.

“You’re mine, Elizabeth,” he says softly.

She moans against his fingers, trying to squeeze her legs together to release some of the pressure from her center. Beth knows it’s wrong, knows she should fight him off, but her body is buzzing with need. She tries to pull his fingers from her mouth and tug them between her legs. He just laughs.

“Are you gonna run away again?” he murmurs, tracing her pussy lips and lightly stroking her slick clit.

Her brain tells her to snap back at him, to tell him to fuck off like she’s done so many times before, but her body is vibrating traitorously. Her pussy is practically weeping against his hand and all she can do is moan pathetically.

“Elizabeth,” he teases, slowly slipping one long finger into her pussy, “If you wanna come you have to promise me you’ll be a good girl,”

Tears well up in her eyes from frustration, and a few manage to slip down her cheeks. She’d never been this aroused before, she can feel her juices sliding down her thighs and onto her calves. But she’s much too turned on to be mortified.

“No,” she whimpers finally.

“Hmmm, that’s too bad,” he murmurs, pulling his hand away and bringing his fingers to his lips, tasting her. “You should probably take another shower, this time cold.”

Then he’s gone, leaving her breathless and needy, alone in the bathroom.  She takes his advice, shakily stepping into the shower again and letting the cold water wash over her. She’s so aroused she comes on her own fingers within seconds with a silent cry.

Despite her orgasm she still feels unfulfilled. Her fingers are much too small and dainty compared to Rio’s. Still, she’s managed to clear her head somewhat, some of the fog from her arousal dissipating.

Rummaging through her backpack she pulls out a clean pair of panties. She pauses, she didn’t bring any sweatpants or pajama pants, just a few pairs of undies, a few tops, a pair of jeans and the clothes she had worn earlier. Thankfully one of the tops is a flannel sleep shirt which falls mid thigh. It’s not ideal but it’ll have to do.

When she exits the bathroom her eyes zero in on Rio, dressed only in his black boxer briefs. He’s lying back against the headboard, typing away on his phone, one hand thrown casually behind his head. She swallows. He looks good. She’d never seen him this dressed down before. His left forearm is covered in tattoos, and his abs flex as he stretches. He tosses her a cheeky grin and pats the bed.

“C’mere.”

She hesitates, wishing the hotel room had a couch or big armchair or  _ something _ she could sleep in that’s not the bed. Unfortunately for Beth she’d have to sleep next to Rio.

Beth walks up to the bed and sinks down, biting back a moan at how soft the mattress is. Rio watches her as she swings her legs onto the bed and pulls the blankets up to her chin, turning to face away from him.

He doesn’t say anything, just continues tapping on his phone. Who in the hell could he be texting at this hour? Probably her father. She snuggles further under the covers, curling into herself.

The bed shifts as Rio turns and clicks off the light. Suddenly his chest is pressed against her back and his strong arm is wrapping around her middle.

“Get off,” she hisses, slapping at his arm.

“But I want to cuddle,” he pouts, pressing his lips to the back of her neck.

“There’s plenty of bed  _ over there _ . Move.”

Rio lets out a long suffering sigh before sliding away from her, settling on the opposite side of the king size bed.

“You ain’t gonna try and run when I fall asleep, right?” he asks amusedly.

“Shut up,” she mutters.

Beth doubts she’d get very far even if she tried to run. They’re in the middle of Nowhere, Michigan. She had tossed her phone before she ran, so she couldn’t even call an Uber, and she doubts there’s any cabs around here.

Her eyes begin to flutter shut. She’s so tired and confused, her body’s reaction to Rio could not be natural. Pushing that thought away she lets herself drift off to sleep.

xxx

When she wakes up hours later she blinks bemusedly. She’d forgotten where she was. She blinks once again in confusion at the warm body she’s clutching. Beth’s eyes go wide as she realizes she’s wrapped around Rio like he’s a damn body pillow, her head pressed to his bare chest. His arm is curled around her tightly, and her flannel had ridden up over her thigh in the middle of the night.

She squeaks, untangling her limbs from his and nearly falling out of the bed in shock.

“Hmm, baby,” Rio groans lowly, rubbing a hand over his eyes, “Come back here,”

“ _ No _ ,” she nearly shrieks, yanking her shirt down. “Don’t touch me,”

“You’re the one who was all over me last night,” he says, smiling, “Makin’ all these cute lil noises,”

“Was not,” she exclaims.

“Mhm. Moanin’ in your sleep. Got a pretty good idea what you were dreamin’ about,”

“Ugh!” Beth throws the blankets off and storms into the bathroom.

She brushes her teeth with a fury and doesn’t even bother to do her hair or makeup. She ties her hair in a loose ponytail, but nearly groans as she remembers she had dropped her backpack in the bedroom.

Rio’s still lying in bed, the covers pushed low on his hips, revealing his toned chest. She tries not to stare as she goes to grab her bag, but his voice stops her.

“Elizabeth,”

“What?” she snaps.

“Come here,”

“No!”

“Ain’t you supposed to obey your husband? That’s gonna be in the vows, I think,” he teases.

“You’re disgusting,”

“You weren’t sayin’ that a few hours ago, darlin’, when my fingers were inside your-”

“Shut up!” she shrieks, her cheeks turning pink.

“Come here,” he says lowly, his voice leaving no room for argument, “Now.”

Her traitorous body begins to act up again, her nipples pebbling, her pussy clenching. Slowly, as if possessed, she moves toward the bed until she’s standing over him. He reaches out quickly, snatching her hips and pulling her onto the mattress until she’s straddling him.

She fights the urge to grind down on his hardness, biting her lip.

His fingers dig into her soft hips. “How’d I get so lucky?”

“You’re never going to have me,” she whispers, moving over him ever so slightly, making him groan.

“We’ll see about that,” he chuckles, “You were so wet for me earlier, it’s only a matter of time before you’re begging me to fuck you,” His hands gently brush the tops of her thighs, sliding up until his fingers are toying with her panties. “And it’s my husbandly duty to satisfy you,”

“You didn’t last night,” she snaps, immediately regretting her words.

“It’s your own fault,” he murmurs, lightly stroking the thin fabric. “You’re too stubborn,”

Her breath hitches at the feeling of his fingers so close to her pussy. She can feel the fabric dampening, and curses her fragile body.

“Don’t touch me,” she whispers, but her voice is breathless and shaky, and she grinds down on him.

He cups her through her panties, rubbing his thumb over her clit.

“I can make you feel real good,” he promises lowly, “Why won’t you let me?”

“Because…  _ oh _ … because I hate you…”

“Sure about that?” he asks cockily, staring pointedly at her wet panties. “How about a wager?”

“A bet?” she whimpers.

“Mhm. I bet I can make you come twice on my tongue in the next fifteen minutes. If I can do that, you’ll never run from me again. If I can’t, I’ll call off the wedding.”

She moans lowly, rocking against his hand. Dean had never eaten her out, had found it gross. Maybe she wouldn’t like it. She  _ prayed  _ she wouldn’t like it, because the deal was just so tempting.

“Deal,” she whispers, against her better judgment.

Rio grins wolfishly, knifing up and flipping them over.

“You might wanna hold on to somethin’.”

Then his mouth is on her, kissing the damp fabric of her panties, right over her clit. He pushes up her flannel shirt before trailing kisses on her inner thighs, biting lightly every so often.

He sits back on his haunches, slipping his fingers into her panties and slowly dragging them down her shaking legs. He eyes her pussy hungrily, before settling between her legs and hiking her knees over his shoulders.

His hands grip her ass tightly as he runs his tongue up and down her slit. She lets out a strangled cry, unable to help herself. His tongue just feels  _ so good _ , even better than his long fingers. Her body is shaking within minutes as he laps her up. If she didn’t try and focus, she would come soon, and she couldn’t let that happen.

Beth opens her eyes, staring at the ceiling and taking deep breaths, trying to stave off her orgasm. Rio chuckles against her center, lightly sucking one pink lip into his mouth. His mouth is merciless; he sucks on her clit softly, eliciting a low moan from the writhing woman above him.

The noises he makes as he eats her are downright filthy. He growls and groans against her. Tears well up in her eyes as she tries to hold herself back. His tongue is cruel, flicking her clit and fucking into her tight hole teasingly.

“Taste so fuckin’ sweet,” he growls

“ _ Oh _ ,” she cries, unable to help herself as she grinds herself on his face.

“Anyone ever eat you before, baby?” he asks possessively, rubbing her clit with the tip of his finger.

“ _ No,”  _ she moans, squeezing her own nipple.

He smiles smugly before lowering his mouth onto her once more.

She glances at the clock on the nightstand. It’s only been a few minutes. There’s no way she can hold off the first orgasm, maybe she’ll be able to wait until the fifteen minute mark for the second?

Her eyes roll into the back of her head. His mouth is just relentless, and her orgasm is closing in. She tries to push his head away as she begins to fall over the edge. He just grips her ass harder, holding her in place.

“No…  _ oh, ohhh, _ ” she cries as the dam opens, coming so hard it makes her head spin.

He lifts his head to look at her with a smug expression. “One more, baby.”

She whimpers as he lowers his head once more, his tongue and mouth moving harder and faster this time. Her next orgasm is already building quickly, much to her surprise.

Beth tries to snap her legs shut, to push Rio’s face away, but it’s useless. He holds her open, his strong hands pressing her inner thighs apart so she’s in a butterfly position on the bed.

He sucks her clit forcefully and her body aches. It’s just not  _ fair _ . She’s so wet for him she drips onto his waiting tongue. He sucks up every drop eagerly, bringing his fingers in to spread her lips with his thumb and index finger, making her swollen clit nearly pop out of her pussy.

Beth tries, she really does. But in the end she comes again, and comes hard, her juices squirting out of her into his mouth.

She lies back, boneless and exhausted. He massages her sore thighs, kissing her pussy gently.

“Ten minutes.” he grins.

Beth’s too tired to even come back with a retort.

Rio moves up her body, cupping her cheek and pressing his wet lip to hers. She can barely think, and soon she’s kissing him back eagerly, tasting herself on his tongue. His hardness presses against her thigh, and she can feel how big he is, it makes her whimper.

“Gonna let me fuck you?” he murmurs against her lips. She shakes her head. At least she can cling to one measly morsel of dignity. “Get ready then, we’re leaving in ten.”

Rio pushes off her, his erection sticking out of his briefs enticingly. She watches him walk to the bathroom and soon she hears the sound of the shower.

There’s no doubt in her mind that he’s jacking off in there. He felt painfully hard. She doesn’t feel bad for him at all. Maybe she’s also bitter that she’d lost the bet in a spectacular fashion, even if it did feel like winning… 

It was going to be a long ride home.

xxx

Despite her previous assumption the ride home is relatively painless. Rio takes mercy on her, only teasing her once the entire way. She twists the diamond ring on her finger nervously. Her father is going to be  _ furious _ .

When they pull up to the gate of the large house Beth is practically shaking. Rio nods at the guard who opens the gate for them. He easily maneuvers the car up the long driveway, stopping right outside the front doors.

“C’mon,” he says. Beth doesn’t move, sitting tensely in the passenger seat. “I got you, mami.” he assures her.

Confused, she steps out of the car when he holds the door open for her, placing his big hand on the small of her back, leading her inside.

Her father is waiting in the front hall, arms crossed, looking absolutely incensed. Rio keeps his hand on her back, steadying her.

“Really, Beth?” her father snaps, striding up to them angrily. “Do you know how much danger you put yourself in?”

Beth manages to roll her eyes, “I don’t care. Better than marrying  _ him _ .”

Her father is so mad, she flinches as he surges forward, expecting him to hit her. The last time he’d been this angry was when she was twelve, and had taken Annie “on an adventure”, slipping past the guards and into the city. It was the only time he’d raised a hand to her, but she’s willing to bet that she’s about to feel the sting again, ten years later. But the slap never comes, and she opens her eyes nervously. Rio has her father’s wrist in a death grip, having caught it in mid-air.

“She’s mine now,” he says lowly, “I’ve already dealt with her. You’re not going to run again, are you, Elizabeth?”

She shakes her head mutely, eyes wide. Nobody ever challenges her father like this. Mr. Marks’ face twists angrily, and he yanks his hand out of Rio’s grasp. The older man’s face turns neutral as he faces Rio.

“You’re right,” he says, “And please accept my apologies for my daughter’s insubordination.”

“Apology accepted,” Rio responds easily, “We had a fun little road trip, right sweetheart?”

Beth scoffs; pushing passed both Rio and her father, running up the stairs to her room. She slams it shut, throwing herself onto the bed, burying her face into a pillow.

Her ring gleams mockingly, the diamonds sparkling against her finger. There really wasn’t anything she could do, now. She tried pleading, tried running, but nothing worked, she’d really have to marry him.

Twenty minutes pass and there’s a soft knock on the door. She ignores it. The door is locked anyway. There’s a soft jiggling noise, and within a minute it opens, revealing Rio.

She groans, “Go away,”

He sits on the edge of her bed, pressing his hand into her back., rubbing softly.

“If he hits you, you tell me,” he says quietly, but firmly.

Beth turns her face, scowling. “He never hits me. And why do you care?” 

Rio shakes his head. “You’re mine to protect.”

“I don’t want to be yours,” she whispers.

“It’ll be me or someone else your father chooses,” he says firmly, “And I won’t let anyone else have you.”

“Why?” a lone tear slips down her cheek.

He leans in, kissing it away. “I’ll treat you right. You’ll never want for anythin’. I’ll take care of you,”

She sighs. “Any way you’ll give me up?”

“Nope. You’re stuck with me, darlin’. Til death do us part,” he smirks, stroking her cheek, “I’ll pick you up tomorrow. We’re goin’ to the gun range.” 

He straightens up and gives her one last look before striding out the door.

xxx

The champagne glass is snatched out of her hand before she can even take a sip. Beth scowls at her mother, who shoots her a disapproving look.

“I told you, no eating or drinking before trying on dresses, honey,” her mother says sharply.

“The only way I’m gonna get through this is drunk,” Beth mutters, watching the sales woman (sorry,  _ bridal expert _ ) scurry around the boutique, picking out dresses left and right. A year ago she’d have assumed it was her wedding with Dean they were shopping for. She scoffs to herself.

“Can I have some?” Annie asks, eyes bright.

“No,” her mother snaps, “You’re much too young,”

“Ugh,” Annie sits back, pouting, “This is so boring. I wanna go home,”

“I second that,” Beth chimes in.

“Stop it, both of you.  _ Belle en Blanc  _ was very kind to squeeze us in last minute,”

“Only cuz Daddy paid them,” Annie pouts.

“And they’re scared he’ll have his men shoot up the place,” Beth mumbles, slinking down in her seat.

“ _ Elizabeth _ , you bette- oh  _ hi there.  _ Have you found some dresses for my daughter?”

Her mother’s tone and expression changes in less than a second as the _bridal expert –_ Deborah- approaches the trio with a huge smile on her face, several hangers in her hands. Beth and Annie roll their eyes simultaneously.

“Yes, I think you will  _ love  _ these dresses, Beth!” Deborah squeals. “A little sexy, too,”

“I said I wanted to dress like a nun,” Beth mutters.

“I’m sure she’ll adore them, Deborah,” Mrs. Marks cuts in, “Go on, Beth,”

Beth follows the perky woman to the dressing room, resigning herself for the long, painful morning ahead of her.

The first few dresses are low-cut and tight. Beth hates them, her breasts nearly spilling out of the bodices.

“He’s going to marry me no matter what,” Beth mumbles, “I’d rather not dress like a whore when I already feel like one.”

Deborah lets out a nervous laugh before ushering Beth back to the dressing rooms to try on a more modest gown.

Two hours and a dozen dresses later, she settles on one that she actually likes. It’s a classic Alexander McQueen gown, with a sweetheart neckline and straps that hang off her shoulders. The material of the skirt is light and flows around her as she walks.

Her mother isn’t convinced and wants to continue shopping but Beth stands her ground. Deborah is absolutely delighted, mainly because it’s a fifteen thousand dollar dress.

The Mark’s sisters are relieved as they walk out of the store, dropping the dress off at the front desk for alterations.

“So, Beth. I was thinking you could come with me for a cocktail hour today with some of the other wives,” her mother says as they approach the waiting town car.

“I can’t,” Beth says, feigning disappointment, “I have plans with Rio,”

“Oh,” her mother starts, obviously delighted by this prospect, “And where is he taking you?”

Beth smirks as she slips into the backseat of the car. “To the gun range.”

“ _ What? _ Can I come?” Annie shrieks, flushing with jealousy. 

The squawk of disapproval and look of horror on her mother’s face is almost enough to make the entire miserable afternoon worth it.

xxx

Beth’s hands shake as she points the gun at the target. She’s never shot a gun, but she keeps having flashes of that one scene in  _ A Christmas Story _ when Ralphie almost shoots his eye out from the backfiring BB gun.

The sounds of muted gunfire reverberating off the walls make her jump. Despite the pink earmuffs she’s wearing it’s still  _ loud _ .

“Both eyes open,” Rio instructs from behind her, his arms crossed over his chest.

Her finger goes to squeeze the trigger, but she can’t bring herself to pull it. She sets the gun down.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Beth says, turning to face him.

He rolls his eyes. “All this talk about wantin’ to shoot me and you can’t even shoot a piece of paper?”

“But I don’t want to hurt the paper,” she says sweetly.

“Just pull the damn trigger, Elizabeth,”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she snaps.

“Why does everythin’ with you have to be a fight?” he asks, his expression stern yet his lips betray him, curling upwards with the hint of a smile. “ _Mira_ _mami_. Just try it. I promise you’ll like it.” He licks his lips distractingly.

She scowls, trying to ignore the heat pooling in her belly. He looks good today,  _ always _ looks good, but extra good today. He’s got on a tight grey t-shirt and a black hat he’s wearing backwards. His jacket is thrown casually over a chair behind him. Even with his ear mufflers and plastic glasses he looks like he’s stepped off an  _ Abercrombie _ photo shoot… one for gangsters, at least.

Turning back to the task at hand she picks the gun back up, lets her finger brush over the trigger, and squeezes.

The sound of the bullet releasing makes her jump. She has no idea which way it even went. It definitely didn’t hit the target, that’s for sure. The white piece of paper contains the classic outline of a man with a bulls-eye on his chest. It’s completely unmarred, and Beth’s cheeks turn pink, it’s not even that far away from her.

Rio just nods. “Try again.”

The next few shots miss as well, but she eventually nicks the target, hitting it right in the guy’s shoulder.

She squeals with delight, turning to Rio expectantly. He nods again, but not before she sees his eyes flash with pride.

She unloads the clip, and when Rio pulls the lever, letting the paper glide toward them, she sees there’s a couple bullet holes square in the chest.

“Good,” he says, unclipping the paper target and discarding it. He replaces it with a fresh one, and hands her a new clip. “Load it. Just like I showed you.”

She fumbles a bit, her fingers not familiar with the terrain of Rio’s golden gun. Eventually she clicks the clip into place, and slides the safety off. He flips the switch and the target swings back out into the firing range.

Beth steadies herself, releasing a breath and keeping both eyes open. She hits the target in the chest three times in a row. It’s getting easier now, she’s not afraid of the gun anymore.

“Try head shots now.” Rio instructs, 

She nods, and aims for the head. It’s a lucky shot the first time, the bullet hits right between the target’s eyes. The second she misses completely, and the third she gets in the neck.

Rio steps up, taking the gun from her and switching the safety on.

“You’ll get better with practice,” he says, his voice teasing.

Beth crosses her arms over her chest. “Let’s see you do it, then,”

He grins lazily, squeezing her hip and making her jump out of the way. Beth watches with baited breath as he aims the gun, the muscles in his forearms flexing enticingly. She jumps as he lets out four shots in a row.

Peeking from over his shoulder she sees that every hole in the target is a headshot. She scowls.

“Chest,” he says, squeezing the trigger, “Brain,” another bullet flies, “And lung,”

Three bullet holes have hit precisely where he’d called. Beth can’t help but be impressed, but she’d never tell him that.

“Guess you have a lot of real life practice. Being a gang banger and all,” she says venomously.

He smirks at her. “In real life I want you aimin’ for the head. Got it?”

“I can’t go 10 feet without you breathing down my neck. Why would I ever need to fire one of these things?”

“It’s precautionary. Plus,” he grins, “I like seein’ my wife boss up,”

Beth’s cheeks flush pink. She’d never been complimented in that way before. 

“Still not your wife,” she corrects.

“But you wearin’ the ring,”

“Can’t seem to get rid of it,” she says with a small smile, “Gimme that back.”

They shoot for the next hour, Rio letting Beth go for the majority of the time. He has her try several different guns from the shop out front, showing her how to properly load each one. She tries out an AR-15 just for fun, and is surprised by how light the bullets feel when she pulls the trigger.

When they turn in their equipment at the front Rio points to a small rose gold handgun inside the glass enclosure. The attendant unlocks the door, handing it to Rio.

His hand nearly swallows it, making it look like a toy. Beth has to fight back a giggle. He passes it to her, and it’s as light as she expects. It looks like a normal gun in her tiny hand.

“How much?” Rio asks.

“Eight hundred,” the attendant responds eagerly.

“Watchu think, girl?” Rio asks her, raising his eyebrows. “It’s a baby glock. Can fit it in your purse,”

“Wait, you wanna buy this for me?” she asks, jaw dropping.

“Consider it an early wedding present,” he winks. “You like it?”

She twists the glock in her hand. The rose gold flashes prettily. Shooting had made her feel powerful. Hitting the bulls-eyes even more so. 

“Yeah, I like it,”

“We’ll take it. Also give us some ammo, yeah?”

Beth nearly bounces next to Rio as they walk to his car. The gun is tucked safely away in a small floral case, secure in one of Rio’s big hands. 

He holds the car door open for her, eyes clearly on her ass as she climbs in and for once she doesn’t reprimand him. 

“You gotta keep that in a safe place, aight? And keep the case locked,” he says, peeling out of the parking lot.

“I will,” she nods, then sheepishly adds, “Thanks,”

“No problem.”

She actually had fun today. With  _ Rio _ . Beth shakes her head; feeling a little dizzy. She chalks it up to the fact that dress shopping had been so painful, that literally anything else could be more exciting.

Beth glances over at him. His right hand is gripping the steering wheel at 12 o’clock, the other rests casually beside him. His fingers are long, and she remembers how they felt… sliding in and out of her pussy and mouth the other night. 

She clears her throat, instinctively squeezing her thighs together. Her tummy aches slightly, she had barely eaten all day, courtesy of her overbearing mother. Much to her embarrassment her stomach growls, causing her cheeks to turn bright red. 

“Hungry?” he asks with a knowing grin.

" Yeah. Haven’t eaten all day,” she mumbles. 

She catches him rolling his eyes and muttering something under his breath. 

“You like sushi?” 

The question startles her and she whips around to look at him.  _ Sushi? _ The corners of his lips tick upward, as if he’s amused by her confusion. 

“Yeah,” she says slowly, “And you do?”

“Everyone likes sushi,” he replies somewhat defensively. 

“Do you know how to use chopsticks?” she giggles.

Rio huffs. “Of course.” 

Turns out, he was absolutely abysmal at using chopsticks, and Beth laughed so hard she nearly snorted out some of the water she was drinking. 

“Whatever,” he scowls, stabbing a piece of sushi defeatedly. 

“I can’t believe I found something you’re not good at,” she says, thoroughly enjoying herself. 

“You do it, then,” he mutters.

Beth artfully twists the chopsticks in her fingers, grinning mischievously. Instead of going for a piece of sushi, she decides on a single grain of rice at the edge of her plate. Skillfully, she plucks up the grain and holds it aloft triumphantly before popping it in her mouth. 

“See?” she glows.

“Not everyone grew up spoiled,” he rolls his eyes. 

“It has nothing to do with being spoiled,” she gasps, “Look at that little kid over there.”

And sure enough as soon as she says it, the chubby five or six year old kid two tables down easily plucks up a sushi roll and stuffs it in his mouth. 

“Shut up. Gimme one of your spicy tuna rolls,” he says, reaching across the table toward her plate. 

“Hey, get your own,” she cries, swatting away his chopsticks with her own. “It’s mine.”

“What are you, a toddler?” he asks, rolling his eyes.

She glares at him, chewing daintily. “You  _ are _ robbing the cradle,”

Rio grimaces. “Don’t remind me,”

“Why don’t you marry someone your own age?” Beth asks innocently, “Someone who’s fifty like you are,”

He scoffs. “I ain’t fifty,”

“Forty?” she tries again.

She fully knows his age. He’s ten years older than her, which isn’t  _ that  _ bad considering she knows girls who dated guys twice their age in college.

“You’re a brat,” Rio says, scowling.

Beth leans back in her seat, obviously pleased with herself, plucking another spicy tuna roll from her plate. “Hmm. This is so good,”

Rio just glares.

He drops her off at the house in the early evening, rubbing her back as she walks up the steps to the front door.

“I got business with your dad,” he says as he follows her inside the foyer. “You lock up that glock, yeah?”

“I told you I would,” Beth says with a roll of her eyes.

She doesn’t protest when he leans down, kissing her head. Beth stares at him for a moment, her lips parting as she takes in his handsome features. She clears her throat, looking down at the ground. Something hot curls in her chest. 

“Thanks, um, for today. And for the present,” she murmurs to her feet.

“No problem, darlin’,” he says, knocking her chin up with his thumb. “Still got lots to teach you.”

Beth blushes pink, was he implying what she thinks he was implying? The hot look he’s giving her certainly confirms her suspicions, and suddenly she’s transported back to the hotel room, his face peering up at her between her thighs, as he slowly licks his lips…

“Rio, thanks for stopping by. Let’s chat in my office?”

Her father’s voice pulls her out of her reverie. Rio’s still looking at her, his face now neutral that her father has appeared.

“Course,” he says, tearing his gaze away from her. And it’s impressive really, how his demeanor can change so quickly to adjust to every situation. His shoulders straighten, and his face becomes passive, almost bored. But as he follows her father down the hallway he tosses her a wink over his shoulder that has Beth smiling despite herself. 

**_Two Months Until the Wedding_ **

_ It’s a Grind Cafe  _ is hands-down Beth’s favorite coffee shop. It’s cozy, with plush arm chairs and rustic wooden tables. The owners are Detroit locals and have passed the shop down between generations. And although the coffee is a bit pricey, it’s well worth it. 

Beth takes a cautionary sip of her pumpkin latte. It’s hot, but not enough to burn her tongue, and the sweet liquid warms her insides. This October has been colder than usual, the grass outside frosting over in the dewy mornings. She doesn’t mind the cold, actually prefers it. Summer has always meant sunburns and boob sweat. 

She feels at ease here, has been coming since she was a kid, staring longingly at the display of sweets and cakes on the counter that her mother never let her have. Now she feels a stab of satisfaction as she dives her fork into the shortbread crusted lemon bar. Take  _ that  _ mother. 

Spread out across the table are her GRE prep books and binders. All the notes are color coded, naturally, with different tabs and a table of contents. Her test date looms over her, scheduled for the middle of February. She sighs, taking another sip of coffee. It was her plan to post up at her table in the corner all day, but the bodyguard sitting several tables away is starting to get on her nerves. 

Ever since her disappearing act her father sent a guard to accompany her whenever she left the house. It wasn’t unusual for the Marks family to leave the house with guards when venturing out of the suburbs or city, but they’ve always been safest in Detroit, and she’d never needed a guard to come with her to the damn cafe. 

No matter, the guard is about to leave her alone shortly, he just doesn’t know it yet. 

She glances over at the burly man, clearly out of place in the quaint, plushy shop. He takes a sip of the coffee Beth had bought him, an act of kindness, a white flag of sorts. Or so he thought. 

He’s watching her, and she offers him a coy smile, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. She sees him flush, diverting his eyes back to his coffee. Beth smirks, enjoying how uncomfortable she can make him with a single glance. 

Everyone in the Marks household knows Beth is off limits, especially now that she’s engaged to the second most dangerous man in the city, arguably the first. 

Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, she picks up a highlighter, inserts her air pods and resumes studying. 

The little bell by the front door jingles, but Beth is too focused on her music and books to notice. 

It’s not until a shadow falls over her that she looks up. 

She scowls, reaching for her phone to lower the music. “What are you doing here?”

And how dare he intrude on her place of refuge? It’s bad enough she now has a beefy shadow that’s built like a brick shit house. Did her fiance really have to so rudely interrupt as well? 

“Was in the neighborhood,” he offers, plopping down in the chair next to her, his long legs spread out in front of him. Beth notices that her bodyguard is actively avoiding looking at her now that Rio is here. 

She rolls her eyes. Everyone might be scared of him, but she sure isn’t. Not anymore, she realizes with a start. 

“Uh huh. And you just happen to like girly coffee shops?” 

He tosses her a lazy smile and throws an arm around the back of her chair. She studies him for a moment, he’s wearing a dark beanie, and his nose ring gleams in his left nostril. His beard is slightly longer than the last time she saw him. He looks younger like this, could even pass as her age. She looks away when he notices her checking him out, focusing her eyes back on the notes splayed across the wooden table. 

“This place has great chai tea,” he quips. And sure enough, one of the young, curly haired baristas comes bouncing over to the table, a steaming cup of chai balanced on a cute white plate. 

Beth watches with a mixture of surprise and annoyance as the young woman sets it down in front of him with a toothy grin. 

“Hi Rio, your usual, on the house,” she flushes, quickly clasping her hands behind her back and bouncing on the balls of her feet, like a little girl waiting for her father’s approval.

“Thanks darlin’.” Rio replies easily, offering her a smile. 

With a small giggle the barista turns on her heel and scurries back to her station behind the counter. There’s a multi-layer heart floating atop the tea, made from foam. Beth rolls her eyes. 

“On the house,” she repeats sardonically. 

Rio takes a sip of his drink, careful to avoid tainting the foam heart. “Aw don’t be like that mami. Only got eyes for your heart.” He stares pointedly at her chest, which is covered by an enormous maroon sweater, and Beth can’t help but huff out a laugh. 

“What are you really doing here?” she asks, reaching for her mug and taking a sip. He watches her bring it to her lips, the diamond engagement ring sparkling. She blows over the cup for added effect, and gets a low grunt for her trouble. 

“Just checkin’ in. It’s been a minute,” he shrugs. 

Beth arches an eyebrow. “How sweet. But I already have a shadow,” she nods over to the guard, who has buried himself in a home improvement magazine. 

“Why do I feel like you got a plan for gettin’ rid of him?” Rio asks, cushioning his chin in his palm and staring at her with a small smirk. 

She widens her eyes innocently. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

As if on cue, the loud scrape of a chair draws their attention. The burly guard leaps to his feet, surprise and panic flitting across his face. His face turns red as he scrambles toward the bathroom, knocking over a barstool in the process. Maybe Beth had slipped a couple laxatives in his drink, on accident of course. 

Rio raises his eyebrows expectantly. 

“It’s so hard to find good help these days.” Beth sighs. 

And then he’s laughing,  _ loudly _ , drawing the attention of several patrons. Beth can’t help but smile at him, and fights back a fit of giggles. 

“You’re really somethin’, mami,” he shakes his head. 

Beth can’t help but preen a little. “Thank you.” 

They stare at each other for a beat, both smiling stupidly, until Beth clears her throat and looks away. 

“So what you studying for?” Rio asks, jutting out his chin to the pile of books and notes littered across the table. 

“The GRE,” she replies, a little defensively. It  _ had  _ been her plan to go to graduate school, to take a year off after college to study and have fun, maybe travel abroad with her childhood best friend, Ruby. Any soft feelings she might have felt for Rio are now replaced with contempt. Her plans have been ruined by him and her father. 

He nods. “Cool.” 

“Do you even know what that is?” she sneers, falling back into her usual antagonistic attitude whenever she’s around him. 

He ignores her attitude, as usual. 

“Both my younger sisters went to grad school,” he says casually, and Beth’s jaw nearly drops. Rio had always been this mysterious, looming presence in her life as of late, she never thought of him as having  _ normal _ things, like a family. 

“W-what?” Beth stutters, accidentally dropping her pen.

Rio smiles, reaching down and plucking it off the ground. He twirls the glitter pink pen around his fingers, observing it with amusement.

“Yeah, you think brown kids can’t get fancy degrees too?” 

Beth sputters, flushing to the roots of her hair. She’s about to say  _ Of course not  _ but he beats her to it with a laugh. “I’m playin’ with you.” 

“I just-” she fails weakly, “sisters?” 

“Twins,” he confirms, “annoyin’ as hell, too. Like you.” 

She’s still processing this tidbit of information, that Rio has  _ younger siblings _ , she completely misses his jab. 

“What school did they go to?” She asks hazily. 

“Cornell for undergrad. Brown for grad school. They’re inseparable.” He laughs fondly, and Beth feels some of her bitterness toward him dissipating. 

“Oh,” she manages. “Those are really good schools.” 

“They best be with how expensive they are,” Rio scowls. Beth blinks. Of course he’d paid for their education. And she can’t help but agree, getting a piece of paper with your name on it costs more than a vital organ these days. “What school you wanna go to?” 

Beth stammers, thrown by his question, his interest in her education. 

“Um, I was hoping Yale or U-Penn,” she pushes a piece of hair off her face nervously. She’s sure he’s going to laugh, to say there’s no way he’s letting her stray so far, but he doesn’t. 

“Not Harvard again?” 

She’s shaking her head, not surprised he knows this fact about her even though she’s never mentioned it. “It was good for a while, and then….” she trails off. Then Dean had cheated on her with a freshman when they were seniors. She’d kicked him out of their shared apartment and spent a week partying at the bars in Boston. “Well, it’s a school with a bunch of spoiled, rich kids.” she says instead. 

“I hate to break it to you darlin’, but  _ you’re  _ a spoiled rich kid,” Rio raises his eyebrows again, his mouth quirking. And really, she should have expected this. 

“I wouldn’t say  _ spoiled--” _

“Spoiled.” 

She huffs. It’s not entirely inaccurate… but despite her family’s wealth it’s not like she had a charming, delightful childhood. Her mother was too stoned on Oxy to be much of a parent, and her father was constantly out of town, at business meetings or with his mistress. It was really just her and Annie against the world, until she’d met Ruby when Beth had crashed Mr. Marks’ corvette into her trash cans at age fourteen. 

In a material way, yes, she was spoiled, grew up wearing designer clothes and expensive jewelry, was gifted a Mercedes for her sixteenth birthday. But all those  _ things _ couldn’t replace parental love and acceptance. 

“I gotta run,” he says abruptly when his phone begins to vibrate in his jean pocket. “Hit the books, girl. Make me proud. I need a sugar mama to pay for all these schools.” 

Beth feels warm as he leans down and kisses her cheek, his big hand firm on the back of her neck. She watches him stop by the counter on his way out, and the barista glows with excitement at his attention. Beth scowls, hating the way he smiles at the pretty girl. 

Ten minutes later that same curly headed barista approaches her table with a steaming cup of fresh coffee, and Beth can smell the pumpkin flavoring from where she sits. 

“Elizabeth?” she asks attentively, and Beth nods, “This is for you.” 

“Oh, I didn’t order--” Beth begins.

“Rio got it for you,” she beams, and Beth reads her name tag -  _ Jessica  _ \- and arches an eyebrow. “He said to refill you whenever you need it. Already paid for.” 

“Oh,” Beth replies lamely, flushing at his gesture of kindness. 

Jessica gushes, “You’re so lucky to have him as your husband. He’s so sweet!” 

“Fiance,” Beth corrects quickly, and  _ sweet  _ isn’t exactly how she’d describe him… 

“Oops! Sorry, he said wife,” Jessica says, tossing her a wink before quickly striding away. 

Beth pauses, taking a sip of the fresh coffee.  _ Lucky,  _ Jessica had said. She thinks on that for a minute before grabbing a pen and flipping the page of her book.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy wow! I'm so overwhelmed by all the love I got for the first chapter! Glad to know that all of you are horny little pervs like me lololol. Enjoy the final part!

**_One Month Until the Wedding_ **

Beth white knuckles her steering wheel while trying to calm her racing heart. The forecast had called for sleet, and it had started out as light rain, but she hadn’t expected  _ this _ . Whatever is raining down from the heavens is definitely not natural. It’s a mixture of hail, snow and sleet, and it’s coming down  _ fast _ , coating the already slippery highway.

She hadn’t meant to drive for so long, just to get away for an hour. Her mother had invited her “book club” over for dinner and cocktails. Beth doubts the group has ever actually, you know,  _ read a book _ .

Mrs. Marks just wanted to show off Beth’s thirty thousand dollar engagement ring to all her hoity-toity society friends. Their family was new money, and Beth’s mother desperately wanted to “fit in” with the classic society ladies. It reminded Beth of middle school. The women had all cooed and fawned over Beth’s finger, reminiscing about their own marriage proposals, then after a few cocktails, their own  _ wedding nights.  _

That was the moment Beth decided to dip out, sneaking out to the garage and taking her father’s new Tesla for a spin.

It was a mistake. The Tesla was no match for the wintery mix that only Detroit could offer. She cursed herself, wishing she had taken one of the Ford’s instead. Beth drove slowly in the right lane, nearly jumping out of her skin as eighteen-wheeler trucks zoomed past her.

The car slides against the slippery road of I-75, sleet pelting the windows with such force that the windshield wipers can barely move it out of the way.

For a moment she loses control of the car, the back tires hydroplaning wildly. Her heart nearly jumps out of her chest as she glides into the guardrail. It’s not a hard hit, the airbags don’t even inflate, but there’s definitely going to be a few scratches on the front bumper that she’ll have to explain to her father.

_ Shit shit shit _

She sits there for a moment, hands shaking as she tries to maneuver the car back on the highway but then… the engine cuts and the car goes dark.

“ _ No! _ ” she shrieks, banging her hands against the steering wheel, “Damn you Elon Musk and your stupid fucking cars!”

The wintery mix rains down around her with a vengeance, and she desperately tries to fire up the ignition, but to no avail. Trembling, she pulls her phone out of her pocket, cursing as she sees the battery is only at five percent. She flips on the iPhone flashlight and fumbles around the glove compartment for a portable charger but finds nothing.

The battery suddenly drops to four percent.  _ Fuck _ . Her mind whirls, and she flips through a list of people she can call. Sighing, she dials her father’s number.

It rings several times before going to voicemail. Then she dials her mother’s number and is met with the same result. For the amount of time and resources they’d spent tracking her every move, she thought they’d answer on the first ring. 

The battery is now down to three percent, and she swears iPhones are just  _ meant  _ to die.

Coldness begins to seep into the car and she shivers. She knows who she has to call.

He picks up on the second ring. “Miss me?”

“Hi,” she says, trying to sound confident but the shakiness in her voice betrays her.

“What’s wrong?” he asks immediately.

“I’m kinda um, stuck on the highway,” she cringes, “The car hydroplaned and then the engine died,”

“Are you fuckin’ ser--” she hears him groan on the other end of the line, “Where are you?”

“I’m on 75,” she rushes out, as her phone battery slips down to two percent, “I’m on my way home and –“ she shrieks as a large truck zooms past her, narrowly missing her own car.

“Elizabeth? Are you okay?” His usually calm demeanor is gone, the frantic timbre in his voice unmistakable. 

“Yes,” she cries, tears welling up in her eyes, “Just come quick, my phone is about to die, please-”

Then the line clicks dead. Her phone screen shuts off and she’s engulfed in darkness. She shivers from the cold and the creeping sense of fear that tingles down her spine. The headlights from the other cars flash, giving her momentary glimpses of the long road before her. She gulps. She can already  _ hear  _ Rio in her head, telling her to keep her doors locked, to stay put and wait for him, to keep her gun at the ready…

Except she doesn’t have her gun. The pink glock sits tucked away safely at the top of her closet. She leans back, falling back against the headrest, already dreading the inevitable lecture that’s coming her way.

She wraps her arms around herself, shaking as the last of the heat leaks from the car. Closing her eyes she curses the situation she’s put herself in. If only she had taken the damn truck…

Ten minutes pass and her fingers feel like ice, her cheeks and nose probably deep pink from the cold. Tears threaten to fall from her eyes yet again, but she holds them back. She’s twenty miles away from home, and she has no idea where Rio is driving from. What if it takes him an hour to reach her? She’s not sure how much longer she can take the freezing cold.

Huddling into herself she presses her fingers underneath her butt, trying to bring them back to life. Cars continue to speed by and she prays that he gets there soon.

Tears eventually spill over her eyelids. She’s downright scared at this point, stuck in the middle of probably one of the worst storms Detroit has seen in the last ten years, maybe twenty. What if someone pulls off to the side of the road and sees her alone and vulnerable? What if… she squeezes her eyes shut, pushing all the worst-case scenarios in the back of her brain. Rio will come for her, she knows it. 

Beth’s heart flutters as a vehicle pulls up behind her. She can’t make out the car, and prays that it’s him. A tall figure begins to move toward her, illuminated by the headlights, but she’s unable to see his features, just his silhouette.

Beth swallows heavily, nearly jumping out of her skin when her driver’s side door jiggles. She peeks out the window and sees Rio’s face, and she nearly faints from relief.

As soon as she unlocks the door he’s reaching for her, yanking her out of the car and pressing her to his chest. She shivers violently, huddling into his coat, her frozen fingers clinging to the fabric. Beth feels him shift, and then her head is covered with his warm, black beanie. He pulls it down over her ears, and it’s so big on her it drapes over her eyes.

“C’mon.” She hears his gruff voice above her over the whistling wind, and she’s never been so happy to see him.

He holds her to him tightly as they walk to the G Wagon. Her boots nearly slipping over a patch of ice, but he holds her steady. 

When he deposits her in his car she nearly moans as the intense heat from the vents hits her freezing skin. She immediately thrusts her hands against them, closing her eyes gratefully as they begin to thaw.

Rio clambers in beside her, taking her chin in his hand and inspecting her face for any signs of injury. Satisfied, he releases her.

“You okay?” he asks.

“Yeah,” she says, her voice small. “Thanks,”

His jaw clenches and his hand grips the steering wheel a little too hard as he peels off onto the highway. She looks away, the tension hanging thick in the air.

“What about the- “

“I’m sure your father will send someone to get the car tomorrow,” he bites out, and Beth slinks lower in her seat.

Two minutes pass in silence, and a small part of her hopes that maybe,  _ just maybe _ , he’ll hold off on the lecture just this once.

But her hope is squandered within seconds.

“Drivin’ in the  _ middle of a storm _ , in a goddamn  _ electric car _ ?” he snaps suddenly, making Beth jump. “Where were you even goin’? Tryna run away again?”

His voice is low, yet venomous and Beth swallows heavily. “No,” she squeaks.

“Then what?”

“I just needed to get away… my mom…”

“How many rooms do you have in that big ol’ house? Just go into a different room, Elizabeth… Jesus Christ…”

“I’m sorry, okay?” she cries, “I didn’t think-”

“Exactly,” he cuts her off “You don’t  _ think _ ,”

“Hey,” she snaps, offended. Because she  _ does  _ think, obviously. You don’t just get a degree from Harvard without  _ thinking _ . “I didn’t know there was gonna be a storm,”

“Where’s your gun?” he asks suddenly, making her shy away even further.

“It’sinmyroom,” she mumbles.

“Speak up,” he grunts.

“It’s in my room,” she mumbles again, but this time louder.

Beth chances a look over at him, and immediately regrets it. Even in the dim lighting of the car he looks furious, his jaw ticking overtime.

“So not only do we need to have a conversation about drivin’ in the middle of a storm,  _ for no good reason _ , we have to have the safety conversation. Again.”

She tries to pull the beanie down further over her head, hiding her eyes from him.

“What if someone pulled over that wasn’t me? What then?” he asks, glancing over at her.

“The doors were locked,” she mutters.

“And what if he had a weapon?”

“Can we not do this?” she groans. 

“Nuh uh. You ain’t gettin’ outta this, darlin’,” Rio says, laughing dryly. 

“Please, Rio,” she begs, “I’m really tired and cold, can’t we do this later?”

He looks like he’s about to snap at her, to tell her  _ no, we’re havin’ this conversation right here, right now _ , but he pauses, his eyes softening as he takes in her pink face, nearly half hidden under his beanie.

“Fine,” he clips out. “But you’re gettin’ it good later, girl.”

Beth can live with that, for now. She sighs, pressing her hands further into the vents, watching as he takes the exit for her house. 

“Can we… not go back to my house?” she asks quietly.

He arches an eyebrow at her. “You serious?”

She scoffs. “Going back with you is much more bearable than sitting through my mother’s book club. Trust me,”

Rio smirks. He doesn’t look as angry anymore, just amused. “What book they readin?”

Beth laughs, “Are you kidding?”

He laughs too, and agrees to let her spend the night at his.

xxx

When Rio calls her father he actually picks up, and Beth rolls her eyes. Business has always been more important than family. 

“’Ey,” Rio says easily, “I got Elizabeth,” Beth hears her father’s confusion, can make out him saying something like  _ isn’t she at home?  _ “Nah,” Rio says, and takes pity on her when he continues, “Just needed to get away from her moms is all.”

Beth mouths a  _ thank you _ . She could at least wait until the morning to let her dad know about the abandoned Tesla. Rio just shoots her a glare.

He laughs at something her father says. “She’s gonna be livin’ with me in a couple weeks anyway.”

Her father must have backed down quickly, probably relieved that Beth is voluntarily spending more time with her fiancé, and coming to terms with the impending wedding. 

“Yeah,” Rio says shortly, “Yeah, bye,”

Soon they’re pulling up to a large brick apartment building in the city. It’s in a nice area, surrounded by cute little boutiques and bars. The building has its own parking garage, and she’s getting heavy hipster vibes from the whole thing.

“This is where you live?” she asks, surprised he has an apartment instead of a house.

“Mhm. Most of the time anyway,” he shoots her a sly grin.

The building only has three floors, and he lives on the top, of course. He takes her hand in his, frowning at how cold it still is, and leads her down the hallway. The lock on his door is different from his neighbor’s. He has to insert his key and then tap a button on his phone before the door clicks open.

Her jaw drops as she looks around the loft apartment. It’s an open-space concept, except for the bathroom of course, which is tucked away in the corner.

“Not what you were expecting?” he teases.

“I was expecting some sort of trap house or drug den,” she says.

“Baby, ain’t no way you’ve ever seen a trap house,” he laughs.

Beth’s cheeks flush, obviously he’s right. Her father never involved his family in the business, not until he’d decided an arranged marriage was the perfect solution to broker an alliance. 

She walks around the apartment, letting her hands trail over the rich mahogany of his kitchen, the soft cushions on his couch, and the cool porcelain of his bathroom counter. He watches her every move, leaning casually against the kitchen island, toeing off his boots. 

“It’s a bachelor pad,” she announces finally, coming back into the living room.

He huffs out a laugh, “Yeah, wasn’t tryna get wife’d up any time soon,”

“So what changed?” she asks, taking a step toward him.

He eyes her carefully. “Lotsa things,”

“Like?” she pries.

His jow rocks, and he looks away briefly, looking like he’s about to say something but then thinking better of it. 

“”Ey why don’t you take a shower?” Rio offers, startling her with the quick suggestion, the obvious diversion, “You still look cold.”

Beth purses her lips, but her shivering skin won’t be ignored. She accepts his offer with a small nod, sensing a new found tension in the open loft. 

Moving toward the open door to the bathroom she pauses, hand on the door knob. 

“No peeking,” she snaps.

Rio tosses her a lazy grin. “No promises.” 

The warm water of the shower feels like heaven. All the goosebumps on her body disappear within minutes, and she sighs contentedly. It takes her several moments to notice a familiar brand of shampoo and conditioner on the shower ledge - it’s the same products she keeps at home. Beth squints curiously, inspecting the familiar pink bottles. Her eyes are drawn to another bottle, her favorite brand of exfoliant. Either Rio has a thing for expensive feminine beauty products, or he had purposefully picked them out for  _ her _ .

She lets herself roast in the hot shower for longer than usual, taking her time washing her hair and exfoliating her skin. The last time she’d taken a shower with Rio so close by he’d barged in. This time he kept his distance, she was in his territory now, and it was only a matter of time before he’d pounce, and maybe… maybe she’s a little excited about that. 

When she exits the bathroom wrapped in a towel she first notices the clothing laid out on the bed, obviously for her, the second is the whir of the dryer, which she assumes contains her wet clothes.

She knows he’s watching her from his place at the counter, the open concept apartment not exactly allowing her much privacy. 

Feeling bold, she turns to face the bed, letting the towel pool at her feet, giving him an unobstructed view of her backside. She dresses slowly, bringing the dark blue t-shirt up to her face and inhaling his scent before slipping it on. The hem of the shirt rests just above her ass cheeks, and she bends over to step into the panties and sweatpants, receiving a small grunt from the other side of the loft for her effort. 

“Got a thing for French shampoo?” Beth asks nonchalantly, running her fingers through her wet hair. 

She hears him clear his throat behind her, the hardwood floor creaking as he makes his way to press himself against her back, dipping his nose into her neck. 

“Got a thing for you,” he replies against her skin. 

“Why?” she asks, dipping her head back to give him easier access, and he rewards her with a soft kiss. 

“Want you to be happy here,” he grunts while squeezing her hip.

“So,” she sighs as he lightly sucks on her neck, “I can have anything I want?”

Rio chuckles. “Don’t get greedy, mami.” 

Instead of answering she turns, her breasts straining against the fabric of the t-shirt and pressing into his hard chest. She tilts her head up at him, standing on her toes to lightly trail her lips along the wing of his tattoo. He really is beautiful, and definitely  _ not  _ the type of man she pictured herself marrying, but she’s oddly touched by his attention to detail, his willingness to create a more comfortable space for her. 

“What if I want you?” she whispers, running her hands along the hard planes of his chest. She’s playing with fire, but the longing she feels when he’s around is so deep it’s almost painful. 

He lets out a harsh breath, tightening his hold on her hips. 

“Oh baby, don’t tease me,” Rio says, voice dropping. 

Beth’s lips twitch, electricity pulsing through her body. 

“Or what?” She whispers, lips just inches from his… 

He bridges the gap, capturing her lips without mercy. She tightens her hold on his t-shirt, whimpering as his tongue slides against hers. It’s too much and not enough at the same time. She desperately wants to feel every part of him, but can’t bear the thought of breaking the kiss. His hardness presses against her belly, and she grinds into him, eliciting a low moan from his throat. 

When he pulls away she pouts, her lips pink and puffy. He’s breathing heavily, eyes closed, as if he’s attempting the world’s worst display of meditating.

“Shit, Elizabeth,” he breathes, opening his heavy lids, “You got no idea how much I want to fuck you.” 

Beth’s heart skips a beat at his words, her cheeks heating under his piercing gaze. The throbbing between her legs intensifies, and she does her best to ignore it.

“Yeah?” she asks shakily. 

“Mhm,” he growls, sliding his hands under her t-shirt, thumbs caressing her soft belly, “Been dreamin’ about your tight pussy. About takin’ what’s mine,” 

The logical part of her brain wants her to snap back, tell the possessive idiot that she doesn’t belong to anyone, but logic has officially left the building, and instead she feels her panties dampen. 

“You want it, don’t you?” he chuckles darkly, “Have you been thinkin’ about me, mami? Thinkin’ about my tongue inside you?” She’s barely able to nod, knuckles turning white from her grip on his shirt. There’s no point in denying it, all he has to do is slip his hand between her legs and he’d find evidence of her neediness. “I can do it again, all you have to do is ask Daddy nicely.” 

And she flushes at how he refers to himself, had never been into  _ that _ , but her heart is pounding and her panties are wet, so maybe she does like it. He’s teasing her, paying her back for her little display with the towel earlier. Hell, probably paying her back for being such an annoying brat all the time. 

“Please,” she whimpers against his neck.

“Hmm,” he hums lowly, “Gotta be more specific than that.”

Beth nearly chokes, and her face burns. Her thighs clench together, and she’s reminded of the time in the hotel bathroom, how he’d teased and rubbed and left her a shaking mess. Well not this time, she’d abandoned her pride at the door as soon as she’d entered his apartment. 

“Please eat me out,” she moans, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to curb her embarrassment. 

“Please, what?” He’s grinning wide, she can feel his breath against her ear. 

“Please, daddy.” 

A growl reverberates low in his chest, and then she’s on her back on the bed, sweatpants yanked down to her ankles. He kneels before her, quickly spreading her thighs and slipping two fingers past her panties. He has her moaning and shaking within seconds from just his talented fingers. She can hear her wetness coating his knuckles with each thrust, and he rips her soaked panties down her legs, giving her slit a long lick with his tongue. 

“That’s a good girl.” he mutters. 

He doesn’t say anything after that, his mouth occupied with the dripping pussy before him, lapping up each drop. He purposely avoids her clit, making her body shake with need. She bucks against his face in desperation, trying to get friction in the place she wants. Rio just holds her hips steady, and ignores her pleading. 

“Come on, please,” she groans, tears of frustration prickling her eyes. He continues tonguing her tight hole, thrusting in and out. “Please, daddy,” she tries, and this seems to do the trick. His tongue attacks her throbbing clit, and Beth throws her head back into the mattress, panting as she feels her orgasm building. “Yes, yes,” She moans pathetically, has no control of the noises escaping her lips, or the way her body shakes. 

When he sucks her clit she comes undone, cursing and crying and bucking against his mouth. She rides the high for several seconds, eyes closed. Her hands unfist the sheets, and she lies boneless against the mattress. 

“Fuck,” Rio groans, kissing his way up her stomach and stopping at her lips, lightly sucking her bottom lip into his mouth. 

“Yeah,” Beth replies dreamily, a soft smile curling around her lips. She stretches her limbs like a cat, sated and satisfied. 

“Oh, you bein’ good now, huh?” Rio asks, rolling his eyes and flopping down next to her, a painful looking tent in his pants. 

She gives his arm a half hearted smack. “Mhm. But don’t expect this all the time.” 

“Just after you cum?” Rio scoffs, adjusting himself in his pants. 

It’s Beth’s turn to roll her eyes, and she turns on her side to face him, curling her hands under her head.

“I’m not gonna make this easy for you,” she teases, “And I’m non-refundable.” 

“As if I don’t know that,” he mutters, rubbing a large hand over his face. “How ‘bout we have a little talk about your joy ride tonight, hm?” 

She swallows, clearing her throat a little awkwardly. A lecture doesn’t sound particularly pleasant. Especially now when she’s naked from the waist down, juices still coating the inside of her thighs. 

“Or,” she starts, running a finger down his chest, “How about I apologize?”

He grunts, smirking, as if he was expecting her suggestion, and she sees his cock twitch through his pants. 

“How you gonna do that?” 

Beth smiles, and sinks lower onto the bed. 

When she wakes up the next morning, snug against Rio, one of his big arms wrapped around her middle, his nose in her hair... the whole marriage ordeal doesn’t sound too bad. 

**_Two Weeks Until the Wedding_ **

**“** Beth? Are you even paying attention?” 

The harsh shrill of her mother’s voice snaps Beth to attention. Her fingers pause over the phone’s keypad, and she glances up, only to be met with the gazes of her very displeased mother and the ever-patient wedding coordinator. 

“Sorry, what was that?” Beth asks, ignoring her mother’s huff of disapproval. 

She listens dutifully to Becky about table arrangements, updated seating charts and the schedule of the cocktail hour. Normally Beth would be all over this, she always enjoyed planning a good party, but she had been distracted by her phone. Well, not by her phone specifically, but by the texts appearing from a very certain someone. 

“No, no,” her mother chirps, shaking her head, “The Valeros  _ cannot  _ be seated even close to the Epstein family.”

The wedding coordinator nods, her brown ponytail bobbing as she marks a note down on her iPad. Beth chances a glance at her phone, the screen lighting up with a text from Rio. 

_ Send me a pic _

Her jaw drops slightly, and if she were by herself she would have scoffed. The audacity of this man! She poises her fingers to reply with something snappy, but a second message comes through. 

_ Be good for daddy _

Heat immediately curls in her belly, a familiar tingling sensation prickling between her legs. Despite being somewhat aghast by his indecency, she desperately wants to fulfill his request, even though she’s never sent a photo like  _ that  _ before. 

Beth clears her throat, trying not to look too eager as she stands. 

“Excuse me for a moment,” she says sweetly, and at her mother’s glare she adds, “Restroom.” 

Beelining to the bathroom, she flings the door shut and opens her camera app, debating on the best angle. She needs to be quick, lest she raise the suspicions of the two women waiting outside. Her hands make quick work of unbuttoning her blouse and unhooking her bra. She holds the camera at an upward angle, so just her lips and chest are in the frame, and crosses her arm over her bare chest, letting a hint of nipple peek out. The diamond ring on her finger gleams around the pink bud. She snaps a few photos, scrolls through them and chooses her favorite. 

She’s not even halfway back to the sitting room when her phone buzzes. 

_ Tease _

Then…

_ Let me see your pussy  _

This time she actually scoffs, shoving her phone back in her pants pocket, not even dignifying him with a response. 

She pays for it later, panties shoved in her mouth and hands tied to the headboard. Her wrists twist pathetically against the restraint (in this case, his belt, he was anything if not resourceful) as her thighs tremble. He pulls his mouth away at the last second, edging her the same way he’d been doing for the better part of an hour. 

He’d decided this would be her punishment for failing to fulfill his photo request from that afternoon. At first Beth wasn’t sure how  _ this  _ could be a punishment. But now she understands. 

Tears leak from her eyes, and she tries to wordlessly plead with him to take pity on her. She quickly discovers he’s not in the sympathetic mood when he carries on with the torture. She really should have expected this, but instead she’d obliviously bounced up to his apartment door, knocking eagerly, like a Girl Scout trying to sell cookies. It was only when she took in the look in his eyes that she’d realized her mistake. Before she had a chance to back away, he was hauling her over his shoulder and slamming the door behind them. 

Rio once again brings her to the edge, all it would take is a flick of his tongue…

He pulls away. 

“Learned your lesson?” he asks.

Beth nods emphatically, whimpering around the fabric of her panties. She can only imagine all the ways he wanted to punish her for running away nearly three months ago, and shivers at the thought. Hopefully he’d never cash in. 

“Yeah, thought so,” he murmurs, crawling up her body and gently removing the makeshift gag from her mouth. He leaves the restraints, bending down to give her a soft kiss. 

“Sorry,” she whispers. And she can only imagine what she looks like now, tear tracks streaking her flushed pink cheeks, bare breasts straining, lips quivering. 

He chuckles, gently pushing a sweaty strand of hair off her face and tucking it behind her ear. 

“I know,” he replies huskily, leaning down to capture a perky nipple between his lips. He sucks gently, aware of how over-stimulated her body is at the moment. 

“Can I come now?” she whines, wiggling her toes. 

Rio releases her nipple and laughs. Loudly. He shakes his head and looks down at her in amusement. 

“Only if you let me fuck you,” he teases, already knowing the answer.

“Wedding night,” Beth quips back. She enjoys this small piece of power she still holds over him. For as dominant and commanding as he is, he’d never take her without consent. And Beth  _ wants  _ to let him have his way with her, god, she  _ really  _ wants it, but this is her way of torturing him, and it’s just too good to pass up. 

“Yeah, yeah.” he grumbles, loosening the belt around her wrists, and when she slides them out he presses soft kisses to the red skin. 

“Are you really gonna leave me like this?” Beth pouts, sticking out her bottom lip and giving him the puppy dog eyes she quickly discovered he can’t resist. 

Rio groans, rolling his eyes upwards to the heavens before giving in. He slides back down her body, letting her claw at his broad shoulders as he finally licks her to completion. 

Her pussy, wet and desperate from his earlier torture, comes hard within seconds. It’s the strongest orgasm she’s ever had, and her vision goes fuzzy for several seconds. 

She blearily watches him lick his lips and wipe his beard. Eyes closing from exhaustion, she lets herself begin to drift. 

“Thanks,  _ daddy _ ,” she says, smirking, knowing full well he’s about to go help himself in the shower, and why should she put in any work to get him off? He’d been an asshole all night. 

She hears him mumble something that sounds like  _ fucking brat _ before letting sleep consume her. 

xxx 

When she wakes up he’s gone. He’d left hours earlier, before the sun was up. She vaguely remembers him stroking her cheek and whispering that he had to leave. At the time she’d thought it was a dream. 

She checks her phone, there’s several missed calls from her father and mother. Frowning, she throws her phone to the other side of the bed, snuggling further under the covers and pressing her face into Rio’s pillow. His scent still lingers in the bed, and she inhales deeply. 

An hour later she wakes up again, this time feeling well rested and ready to face another day of wedding planning. She takes her time showering, lathering herself up with the fancy body wash and soap. Memories of the night before soon begin to play behind her eyes, and she slips her hand between her legs. Rio would have a fit if he found out she was touching herself without his presence or permission, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him, right? 

Once satisfied with her hot shower and orgasm, she dresses quickly and leaves the apartment, shooting Rio a text that she’s on her way home. Making her way to the car, she waves at Dags, whos’ watching her from the driver’s seat of a black escalade. Rio must have had him post up to escort her home. 

It’s not until she’s in her own car, finger on the ignition button, when she hears the gunshots. 

She stares in horror as a bullet cracks against the window of Dags’ car, and she scrambles for her own gun, nestled safely in the glove compartment. Her car door is wrenched open, and she swings her gun around, firing two shots at the mystery assailant. He grunts, and drops to the ground. She takes pause for a moment, but it’s a moment too long, because then two strong hands are yanking her upper arms and she’s ripped out of the car. 

The gun is snatched from her hand and thrown to the ground, clattering against the hard pavement. Beth thrashes, manages to come chest to chest with her attacker, swiftly brings her knee up to his crotch - a move Rio had taught her the month before when he’d decided gun lessons weren’t enough - and yanks free. 

She whips her head around, searching frantically for her glock, but by the time she clocks it a bag is shoved over her head from behind. Beth screams, as loud as she can, kicking and flailing like a hellcat. Adrenaline courses through her body, so much so that she barely registers the sharp prick of a needle in the side of her neck. 

“Rio!” Beth manages to gasp his name as her vision goes black. 

xxx 

The bed is soft beneath her, and feels oddly familiar. Her eyes crack open, and she blinks heavily. She tries to sit up, but groans and falls back against the mattress. 

“Stay still, honey,” her mother’s voice fills her ears, and she frowns. Was she not just kidnapped? 

“Wha-?” Her mouth is impossibly dry, and she licks her cracked lips. She must be dreaming, but as her childhood bedroom comes into view some of the fog begins to dissipate. 

“Don’t worry, you’re safe,” Mrs. Marks says soothingly, gently stroking Beth’s hair. A glass is pressed to her lips, and she sits up some, drinking greedily. 

The cool water slides down her parched throat, and she sputters and coughs, flopping back down. Her mother’s face fills her field of vision. 

“Rio?” Beth manages to whisper. 

Her mother’s jaw clenches, and her lips purse disapprovingly, a look Beth is painfully familiar with. 

“Just rest.” she says, voice firm. 

When she fully comes to later in the evening, she swings herself out of bed and down the stairs. Her parents are sitting at the dining room table. A glass of whiskey in front of her father, a big glass of red wine sits next to her mother. They’re speaking in hushed tones. Both look tired. 

“What happened?” Beth asks, crossing her arms over her chest. She still feels slightly faint from the sedative. 

Her father grimaces, and he gestures to an empty chair. “Sit,” when she takes her seat he finally speaks, “I’m sorry for the way we brought you home,” he says. And to his credit he does look apologetic, a rare sight. 

“You kidnapped me,” Beth snaps, “And drugged me,” 

He sighs, “We had to get you home as quickly as possible.”

Beth scoffs, throwing her hands up in the air. “I was on my way home! And what could possibly be so urgent that you had to shove a bag over my head?” 

Her father sits up straighter in his chair, downing his drink, grimacing yet again. 

“Deal’s off,” he says shortly.

“What are you talking about?” Beth asks, exasperated. 

“Our deal with Rio. It’s off. Which means the wedding is cancelled.” 

Beth stares. First at her father, then at her mother. Both are watching her, waiting for her reaction. 

All she can manage to say is: “Why?” 

Mr. Marks pours himself another hefty glass of whisky, and downs it in one gulp. 

“I thought you’d be happy,” he says instead of answering her question, “You did try and run away from this.” 

Beth sputters, still not fully processing what he’d just told her. 

“Yeah, but things have changed,” she nearly cries.

Her mother shakes her head, and reaches for her wine glass. Beth is suddenly enraged. How dare they thrust this marriage upon her, only to just take it away when she was finally coming to terms with it? She’s never felt more like a pawn in a game of chess. 

“He’s our enemy now,” her father says sternly, “And you are to stay away from him.” 

“No,” she says, sticking her chin out defiantly. 

The older man slams his hand on the table, making his wife and daughter jump. Beth’s eyes widen, and she blinks back tears.

“I will lock you in your room, so help me God,” her father yells. He calms slightly when her mother places a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it soothingly. His face softens, and he clears his throat. “He reneged on our deal,” 

“ _ What?” _ Beth gasps. 

“He’s in bed with the Italians. Hired them to take me out and steal my trucking business,” he grunts, staring at his empty glass. Her mother’s lips are pursed, forehead crinkled, but she doesn’t say anything. 

It’s all too much to process, and Beth sits there quietly, slack jawed. She reaches for her father’s bottle of whisky and takes a long swig. Neither parent chastises her. 

“So… this whole time… he was playing us?” Beth breathes, “Me?” 

Her father nods solemnly, and he truly looks sorry. “Yes, I’m afraid so,” 

She shakes her head, disbelief pouring through her. “No. He wouldn’t do that. Not to me,” 

“Beth,” her mother says, voice soft, “You don’t really know him.” 

“And yet you  _ still _ gave me to him,” Beth snaps, fire burning in her belly from both the whiskey and shaking rage. 

“And we regret that dearly,” her father quips quickly. “But we’ve already decided on a much better match for you.” 

Beth stands suddenly, her chair squeaking harshly against the hardwood floor. She narrows her eyes. “ _ Fuck  _ you. Both of you,” she spits, turning to leave. “I’m done being your little chess piece.” 

The scraping of a chair indicates that her father has also stood suddenly. “You’ll agree to this if you want Annie to marry freely.” 

Beth turns slowly, limbs feeling heavy, and not just from the sedative. Her blood runs cold at the thought of Annie being married off to a stranger, and a wave of protectiveness crashes through her. She squeezes her eyes shut. It’s just not  _ fair _ . Because they know Annie is her weak spot. That she’d do anything to keep her sister safe. 

And from across the room, peeking through a side door, is Annie. Her sister is taking the scene in with wide eyes, looking younger than her fourteen years in a matching purple pajama set. 

Beth’s eyes burn, shining with unshed tears, but she blinks them away and nods. 

xxx 

It’s one in the morning, and Beth’s head swirls as she downs a third glass of bourbon. The bartender slides another to her with a sympathetic smile. When she’d first arrived Beth had thrown down a few stacks of bills and said “Keep them coming,” and she’s decided that this bartender is her new best friend. 

Sneaking out of her family compound was easy enough. She’d been doing it since she was Annie’s age. Most of the guards had been protecting the family for years, and Beth knew each one of their cigarette schedules, the nicotine addicted idiots. 

The last time she’d snuck out was when she’d hopped a train to Chicago with the intention of ending up in Los Angeles. She would have gotten away too, if it weren’t for RIo. Somehow he’d been the only one to figure out where she was headed. Even her parents, the people who’d known her since the day she was born, couldn’t imagine where she’d run to. 

She’d never been heart broken before, even when her and Dean broke up, and they’d dated for years. The unparalleled draw she felt towards Rio was at first terrifying, then a nuisance, then an obsession. 

Sighing, she twirls the amber liquid in her glass, staring into its depths as if it had some divine answers. After a couple more glasses, the answer becomes clear - she should go to him. She should go to him  _ right now _ .

The bartender arches an eyebrow as she jumps off the stool, tosses another hundred dollar bill on the table, and beelines toward the door. 

The Uber ride is a few minutes, but it feels like forever. Beth scoffs as the driver breaks for a yellow light, earning her a glare through the rearview mirror. She still gives him a five star rating, though, as she bounds out of the car and manages to piggyback off a couple into the front door of the apartment building. 

Taking the stairs two at a time proves to be no easy feat in her current state, so she resorts to taking them one at a time - the old fashion way. By the time she’s at his door, the reality of the situation hits her. According to her parents he’s now the enemy, but she knows deep down it can’t be true. 

She knocks twice, waits a few seconds, and knocks again. There’s no answer. And she can’t make out any sounds coming from the other side. Impatient, she starts banging her fist against the door. 

“Rio,” she shouts, “Open up!” 

There’s still no answer after five minutes, and she kicks the door in frustration. 

She’s startled by another voice in the hallway.

“Can you keep it down?” 

It’s his neighbor. A middle aged woman who she’s seen on the stairs before. She usually offers Beth a smile, but is currently sporting a very deep frown. 

“Uh, sorry,” Beth stammers, “I’m looking for your neighbor. Have you seen him?” 

The woman pops an eyebrow, and crosses her arms over her chest. Some of the harsh lines in her face disappear as she takes in Beth’s drunken state. Something close to pity flashes across her face. 

“He moved out. Just the other day,” she says. 

Beth can’t help the way her face falls. “Oh.” 

“Sorry,” the neighbor offers, “I don’t know where he went,” 

Beth just nods, her throat suddenly dry. Tears prickle in the corners of her eyes and she fights them back. He’d really gone. Betrayed his deal.  _ Left her. _ Left her to be married off to some old Russian mobster. 

Wasn’t it just the other night he’d held her close as she fell asleep? Peppering the side of her neck with kisses and ghosting his fingers over her belly, tickling her sides. It seems like another life. 

Suddenly, she’s angry, and without another word to the kind older woman she stomps down the stairs in blind rage. She yanks out her phone as she goes, dialing his number, only to be met yet again with his automated voicemail. It doesn’t even ring. 

She plops down in the foyer of the building, ignoring the curious and judgemental stares as a few late night residents trickle in from the bars, and deletes his number. 

Not that it matters; she has it memorized. 

The ground is hard, but she begins to doze off anyway. She wonders if anyone will call the cops on her. Probably. It’s an upscale building that doesn’t normally boast drunken women passing out on the floor. She smirks a little, imagining her mother having to come bail her out of the drunk tank in her Prada shoes and Chanel sunglasses, wrinkling her nose at the smell of stale coffee and day old doughnuts. Annie would have a field day, and never let her live it down .

Beth sighs, reminding herself that what she’s doing is for the greater good. Annie won’t be forced into a marriage. 

But still. Her new husband is flying in from New York in a few days to conduct business with her father, then if all goes smoothly, the wedding will be the following week . Once the happy couple says “I do” she’ll be whisked away to Queens, a borough of the city, to be a dainty trophy wife who pumps out babies and pops prescription pills. 

She hasn’t even met her groom-to-be, hasn’t even seen a picture. Doesn’t want to. 

The sound of heavy footsteps pulls her back to the present, and she assumes it has to be the cops coming to arrest her for disorderly conduct. 

“Arrest me, officer,” she slurs, putting her hands out as if to accept a pair of imaginary cuffs. 

The man scoffs. “I ain’t no pig,” 

Beth cracks her eyes open, squinting up at the tall figure in front of her. He’s young. Handsome, even, and more importantly she recognizes him. 

“I know you,” she states drunkenly, pointing a finger at him. “You work for my family. Are you the pool boy?” 

Another scoff. “Ain’t a pool boy neither.” 

She cranes her head up to get a better look. His eyes are just as blue as her own, brown hair floppy. He sports a neck tattoo, and she’s reminded of…She shakes her head. 

“Huh. The gardener?” 

The young man truly looks offended now, and he crosses his arms over his chest, glaring down at her. She giggles. He’s just too pretty to be intimidating. 

“I’m one of your dad’s guards,” he says, rolling his eyes. “The boss asked me to keep an eye on you,” 

“Pshh,” Beth guffaws, “You gonna rat on me?”

His expression shifts, amused. 

“Part of the job description, sweetheart,” he replies with a smirk. 

Beth scowls. All the guards are such tattle-tales, always trying to one-up each other to get in her father’s good graces. Of course the new, young one didn’t take any smoke breaks. 

“Whatever, pool boy,” she says dismissively with a wave of her hand.

“The name’s Eddie,” the kid says with a scowl, and mutters something under his breath. “Boss ain’t gonna be too happy when he finds out you’ve been runnin’ around Detroit, drunk off your ass all alone.” 

Beth barks out a laugh. “Tell him. I don’t care. I’m gonna be shipped off to New York in two weeks, so, whatever.”

Maybe she’s just drunk, but she detects a hint of a playful smile sliding across Eddie’s lips. But when she blinks, he’s back to glaring down at her. 

“Come on, princess. Time to go home.” 

She lets him help her up and into a car, promptly passing out in the passenger seat. 

The lecture she’s expecting the following day doesn’t come, in fact, her father doesn’t so much as mention her drunken shenanigans at all. 

Either Eddie didn’t rat her out or her father must just be feeling guilty. 

xxx 

Despite the heat blasting through the back of the Escalade, Beth can’t stop shivering. She fidgets with the fabric of her expensive wedding gown. Her mother places a firm hand on her shaking knee, she hadn’t realized she’d been unconsciously bouncing her leg up and down. 

“Can we pull over? I need some air,” Beth asks, pressing a hand to her chest. 

Her mother gives her a sympathetic look, her eyes glassy (probably from the Xanax she’d taken) - and pats Beth’s trembling hand. 

“We can’t be late to the church,” she says. 

“Wanna sit up front?” Annie pipes up from the passenger seat, craning her neck to look at her older sister. And she really does look pretty. Her dirty blonde hair curled down to her shoulders, a light sheen of pink lipgloss coats her lips. 

Beth shakes her head. The skirts of the dress are too long and flowy to fit in the passenger seat. 

The family of three sits quietly for the next several minutes, only the occasional clicking of the driver’s turn signal fills the silence. The driver is one of her family guards - an old timer who’d been serving her father for decades. There’s a matching Escalade in front of theirs, filled with Russian soldiers. Why they need so much protection just to get to the damn church is beyond Beth, but her future husband is more paranoid than her father, and twice as crazy. 

She thought she’d been scared when she met Rio for the first time, but Dimitri invoked a new kind of fear. He’d barely said two words the day he introduced himself, standing stoic and silent as he glanced her up and down, as if she were on display at a store. Eventually he’d nodded in approval, slipped a new ring on her finger, and didn’t so much as look at her again. 

Even her mother couldn’t hide the worry on her face, and for once, Mrs. Marks had actually stood up to her husband, demanding that Beth couldn’t possibly be married off to that man. She’d lost the argument, of course, and in typical housewife fashion, never mentioned it again. 

Now, sitting next to her mother in the backseat, Beth wants to plead with her; beg her to tell the driver to turn the car around. Then she looks at Annie, who’s uncharacteristically quiet, staring out the window. Beth swallows heavily and takes a deep breath. 

They’re fifteen minutes from the church. The Russians had insisted the marriage be traditional. She remembers how Rio had scoffed at the idea of being married in front of a priest, how he’d said he would never be so hypocritical.  _ I only care about the wedding night, mami _ . 

The memory makes her lips quirk, but she’s quickly engulfed in sadness. 

Suddenly, the car screeches to a halt, the driver cursing loudly as he slams on the brakes. Beth lurches forward, catching herself on the headrest of the passenger seat. She quickly looks at Annie, who looks just as surprised, and is thankfully uninjured. 

“What’s happening?” Her mother demands, and the driver turns to them, panic across his features. 

“It’s an ambush, ma’m. Get down,” he says quickly, reaching for his waistband for his gun. 

“An  _ ambush _ .” her mother shrieks. 

Beth’s heart is racing. For as old and crazy as Dimitri is, maybe his paranoia deserves some merit. She’s about to duck down under the seat (or as far as her wedding dress will let her) when the world seems to slow, because she’s staring at Rio through the windshield. 

He’s calmly walking toward them, golden gun glinting in his hand. The two black escalades are surrounded by other, equally large vans, and there’s a dozen men pointing their weapons at the Russian car. Among them is Eddie. The men are screaming at the Russians to drop their weapons, and get out of the car. 

Beth’s heart nearly bursts out of her chest.  _ He’d come for her _ . 

She leaps toward the door handle, jiggling it furiously, but the door is firmly locked, and cannot be opened from the backseat. 

“Open the door,” she shrieks at the driver. 

“Stay in your seat!” he growls back, gun at the ready. 

“Beth! What are you doing?” Her mother screams, yanking at her arm. “You’re going to get yourself killed,”

“He won’t hurt me,” Beth insists, banging on the window, trying to let Rio know that she  _ just can’t get out _ . 

He’s pointing his gun at the driver through the windshield, aiming right at his head. Beth knows better than anyone how good a shot Rio is; and if he’s pointing at your head, you better have made peace with God. 

“The glass is bulletproof,” the driver grunts, “Backup is on the way.” 

Tears of frustration well up in her eyes, and Beth screams. Screams at him to open the damn door, to let her out. She screams so loud she’s sure Rio can hear her. 

Annie’s staring at her from the passenger seat, eyes wide and jaw dropped. She keeps looking back and forth between Beth, the driver and Rio. 

Quick as a cat and with surprising grace Annie leaps across the center console, elbowing the driver’s ribcage in the process, eliciting a pained grunt from the older man, and presses the button to unlock all the doors. 

“Go, Beth!” Annie screams. 

For a split second Beth hesitates, because she knows that if she goes with Rio the deal she has with her father about Annie is off. But when she looks into her little sister’s brown eyes, hard and serious in a way she’s never seen, Beth knows that Annie understands. 

She doesn’t have time to respond, because her door is nearly ripped off the hinges by Rio, and she’s in his arms in less than a second as he drags her out of the car. She hears a sharp rip, and looks back to see her mother clinging to the sleeve of her dress. 

“Mom!” Beth shrieks. Her mother’s eyes are filled with tears, but she’s not looking at Beth, no, she’s looking at Rio. Their eyes meet, and a beat of silent understanding passes between them, and then Beth’s mom gives a small nod, which Rio returns, and she gently lets go of Beth’s sleeve. 

“Go.” her mother’s voice cracks. 

Before Beth can say anything else, Rio whisks her away, half carrying, half dragging her to his G-Wagon. He grips her hips tightly, and deposits her in the backseat of the car, jumping in behind her. The car roars to life, and they peel away, the smell of burning rubber in their wake. 

She doesn’t waste a second, throwing herself against Rio’s chest, pressing her nose into his shirt. He smells just as she’d remembered. 

“‘Ey, mami,” he says, smiling against her elaborate hairdo. His big hands wrap around her, and she fights back tears. 

“I thought… I thought you’d left. My dad…” 

“Betrayed our deal,” Rio finishes for her, his mouth setting into a hard line. “Tried to have me killed.” 

“ _ What _ ,” she gasps, pulling back to look at him. Something hot flashes through her, and she frantically scans him up and down, looking for potential injuries. 

He tilts her chin up with his finger, expression soft. “‘M okay. Promise.” 

“He said you tried to have  _ him _ killed,” 

She stares at him, eyes wide, and she sees the visible shift in his demeanor. It’s defensive, and she leans in, lightly pressing her lips to his, as if to say  _ I believe you _ . When she pulls back, his eyes are heavy, and he surges forward, capturing her mouth. It’s as if they’d never been apart, the way they paw at each other. The kiss is desperate, feral, and in that moment nothing else matters. 

He pulls her even closer until she’s sitting sideways on his lap, the fabric of her dress strewn every which way. Her hands find purchase on his chest, fists gripping his shirt. 

“You look beautiful,” he says roughly, running a hand up her side and curling it around her breast.

Beth burns at his touch, rubbing herself against him. 

“This dress was supposed to be for you,” she whispers sadly.

Rio’s lips quirk, and he stares blatantly at her chest, then down the length of her. He shakes his head. 

“Long as I’m the one takin’ it off,” he replies huskily, nuzzling at her neck. His beard burns her sensitive skin in the most delicious way. “You said I had to wait til your wedding night. And it’s your wedding night.” 

She sighs, tilting her head back to give him access to her neck, and he sucks lightly. 

“Thank you,” she says, voice quivering, “for coming for me. I was…”  _ Scared _ . 

“Told you I wasn’t lettin’ no one else have you,” he murmurs harshly against her skin. 

They speak in hushed voices for the remainder of the ride - where they’re going Beth has no idea, but she doesn’t care, as long as Rio is with her. She tells him everything, the deal with her father about Annie, her new (now ex) husband to be, and how much he terrifies her, that she’s supposed to move to New York… He listens patiently, hands never leaving her skin. And it’s funny, how she used to pull away from his touch, and now she embraces it. 

He seems to know everything already (except the bit about Annie) and he reveals how he’d been plotting this day ever since he found out she was to be married to someone else. He’s regretful that he didn’t reach out, that he’d left her in the dark, but it was the only way to keep his plan secret. 

“Almost called you,” he admits. 

“When? Why?” she asks, tightening her hold on him. 

“When you was stumblin’ around Detroit, drunk off your ass and passed out in my apartment building,” he arches an eyebrow at her when she laughs nervously, playing with the buttons on his shirt. 

“How’d you know about that?” she asks timidly. 

“I got my sources,” he says with a smirk. 

Beth thinks back to that night, which in all honesty is one big blur. She fast forwards through her foggy memories, and then she realizes… 

_ Boss ain’t gonna be too happy when he finds out you’ve been runnin’ around Detroit, drunk off your ass all alone.  _

“Eddie is one of your guys,” she states. She’d even seen him not too long ago, pointing a gun at the Russians, but had quickly forgotten... due to obvious reasons

“He ain’t just a pool boy,” Rio says with a smile, and Beth groans. “Yeah, he told me everythin’,” 

Beth grumbles, cheeks turning pink, and presses herself further into Rio’s chest. She kicks herself for not having figured it out sooner. 

“He’s a snitch,” she mutters and Rio just laughs, much to her chagrin. 

“Mhm. And we gonna have a little talk about that, mami,” he says, voice shifting sternly. “You just love bein’ reckless, huh?” 

She flushes. It hadn’t been her finest moment, but given the circumstances Beth would challenge anyone to react in a different way. At the time, getting absolutely sloshed seemed like a wonderful idea. 

He runs a finger down her face, brushing a thumb against her sticky cheek. It’s then she realizes that she’d been crying, and her perfectly applied makeup had smeared under her eyes. She quickly wipes her face, grimacing at the remnants of mascara and foundation on the backs of her hands. 

Rio looks amused, shifting her off his lap and onto the seat next to him. She eyes him curiously as his hand goes to the back waistband of his jeans. A gun flashes in his grip, but not just any gun,  _ her _ gun. 

“You dropped this,” he says, smile growing wider as he takes in her delighted face. “Couple bullets missin’. Used to have a full clip.” He’s looking at her the same way he had when they went to the firing range. Pride shines across his features, and Beth has to look away. 

“I shot one of my dad’s men. Twice,” she winces, remembering the day she’d been kidnapped by her own family. The man had survived, but barely. She’d felt guilty at first, until she discovered that Dags had been killed by that same man. Her eyes lower, “I’m sorry about Dags. He was always kind to me.” 

The playfulness in RIo’s face fades at the mention of his deceased friend. His eyes turn hard, and he looks away. Beth immediately feels guilty for bringing it up. Dags had just been doing his job - looking out for her. If it wasn’t for her… Beth closes her eyes. 

Rio seems to sense her internal struggle, and cups her cheek. “‘Ey, it’s okay. Not your fault.” 

Beth nods, bringing her smaller hand up to cover his big one. She leans in and places a soft kiss against his lips. “I wish it didn’t have to be like this.” 

“I know, mami,” he murmurs against her lips. 

The reality of the situation hits her then. Rio and her father are at war. She’d chosen him over her own family, and now Annie might suffer because of it. Overwhelming rage for her father fills her. If he hadn’t reneged on the deal, tried to have Rio killed… they’d have a blended (if not dysfunctional) family. Even she’s not naive enough to believe that they can all kiss and make up while singing Kumbaya into the sunset. 

“What’s going to happen now?” she asks quietly. 

Rio doesn’t answer right away. He sighs. Something she hasn’t seen him do often.

“I’ll try and stay out your father’s way. But he killed my boy, and I stole his daughter. Nothin’ good can come from that,” he states seriously, and Beth nods, expecting as much. 

Despite the internal war raging within her, for the first time Beth feels a sense of liberation. She’d chosen for herself, was free of her family’s clutches and expectations. Emboldened, she turns to Rio. 

“I don’t want to get married,” she states, and at the pop of his eyebrow she adds, “Not yet. I want to... date. Like normal people,” she flushes at the childishness of it but powers on, “I want to do things my way.” 

She waits, half expecting him to laugh, half expecting him to at least roll his eyes. But instead he nods, and that flicker of pride flashes across his face again.

“Okay.”

xxx 

They pull into a clearing thirty minutes later, the trees parting to reveal a modest one-story cabin with a wooden front porch. Beth had almost forgotten about Mick the entire drive, and smiles at him thankfully as he opens her car door. 

She feels quite silly, standing in the middle of the freezing woods in her giant, white dress and four-inch heels. The sun is setting rapidly into the golden sky, signaling the impending darkness. 

Tentatively, she takes a step, only for her heel to sink into the dirt. She yelps, then laughs at the ridiculousness of it all. The men look amused too, and Rio sweeps her off her feet, striding confidently to the front door. 

“Bride is supposed to be carried over the threshold,” Rio says knowingly and Beth rolls her eyes. 

“I never got married,” 

“Semantics.” 

He carries her right through the house, and she only glimpses bits and pieces of the open kitchen and cozy looking living room. She hears him grumble something about her dress being  _ too fuckin’ long  _ as he readjusts her in his arms, careful not to step on the train. 

It isn’t until he’s set her down in what seems to be the master bedroom that her heart quickens. She gulps, looking around the nicely decorated room, complete with a california king bed. His gaze pierces her back as she steps out of the uncomfortable pumps, letting her feet breathe against the softness of the carpet. 

Slowly, she turns to face him, a light blush spreading across her cheeks, knowing that their tension is about to come to a head. Beth had denied him for so long, enjoying the push and pull, the power dynamics that came with tempting the devil. Now as he stands before her, tall and lean, looking ready to devour her, she starts to feel like prey, and stumbles backwards, tripping over the long fabric of her dress. 

He’s there immediately to steady her, hands warm and reassuring on her upper arms. There’s a softness in his gaze now, one she’s found out is reserved only for her. She shivers as he rubs his big hands up and down her bare skin. 

“You aight?”

“Of course,” she squeaks, and his trademark smirk is firmly back in place. 

“Gettin’ shy on me, darlin’?” 

Beth scowls at his teasing, pushing him away. He lets her, arms falling back to his sides, but she sees his palm twitch, eager to reach back out and caress her skin. 

She clears her throat. “Can you help me out of this dress?” 

Rio nods, a little  _ too  _ eagerly, she thinks, and takes a step closer. 

Getting out of the dress, however, is no easy feat. It had seemed so simple at the boutique when the attendant had helped her, and then again after the adjustments were completed. Rio curses, fumbling with the thick buttons that line the back of the dress, and she can just picture the look of frustration on his face. It makes her giggle.

“Thought you’d be more experienced getting a girl out of her clothes,” she teases. “First time?” 

Rio grunts, yanking a little too harshly at a particularly stubborn button. He doesn’t respond, and Beth grins triumphantly. 

But then his hands are moving, curling around her waist, and his lips are at her neck. He sucks on her pulse point, and Beth’s breath hitches in her throat. His hands roam upward, gently cupping her breasts through the dress’ firm bodice. She unconsciously tilts her head to the side, eyes fluttering shut. 

His fingers play with the top wire of the gown, gently tugging until her breasts nearly spill over the bodice. He manages to capture a nipple in between his fingers, and softly squeezes the pink bud. 

Beth’s mind goes foggy, and she reaches an arm back to press his head further into her neck, arching her back in the process. 

“Let me cut you outta this thing,” he murmurs against her skin. 

Her first thought is to protest, did he even  _ know  _ how expensive the damn dress was? But then when he tugs on her other nipple, bringing it to attention, she also remembers that the sleeve is ripped from where her mother had grabbed it. The dress is already ruined, she thinks, and it’s not like she’ll ever wear it again… 

“Fine.” 

She almost whimpers as he pulls away, and turns to see him reach under his pant leg, lifting it a few inches and pulling a knife out of the holster strapped to his calf. When he’d made the suggestion she’d thought he meant scissors. But now as the sharp knife gleams off the mellow lighting of the bedroom, she feels a newfound heat pool deep in her belly. 

Her eyes never leave the cool metal, and he seems to know exactly what she’s feeling - he always does - and watches her reaction as he gently slides the tip of the knife over her chest. Goosebumps erupt over the exposed skin, and he trails it even further down her right breast, before tapping the flat tip over her nipple. She gasps; he smirks. It’s all very familiar but strange at the same time. 

He plays with the instrument some more, dancing it over her skin torturously slow, then drags it to the valley in between her breasts, and cuts. 

Her breath hitches as the rip of the fabric fills the quiet room. One hand holds her dress up to keep it taut while the other cuts deep toward her belly. The front of the bodice gapes open, completely revealing her chest. The knife clatters on the nightstand, and then Rio is yanking the dress down around her ankles. 

His eyes appraise her greedily, and she resists the urge to cross her arms over her breasts. His lips quirk when he sees her tiny, light blue thong. 

“Something blue.” she whispers. 

Then he’s on her, one big hand coming around to cup her head as he crashes his lips to hers. She desperately fumbles at the buttons on his shirt, thinking amusedly that it should be  _ her  _ turn to use the knife, but instead uses all her strength to rip the fabric apart, sending the little buttons flying all over the floor. 

He growls, obviously turned on by her aggression, and yanks her up until she’s wrapped around his hips. She bucks against him, frantically attempting to create some friction against her wet panties. 

The bed creaks as he nearly tosses her onto the mattress. She instinctively scoots toward the back of the bed, and watches as he shrugs off the remnants of his shirt and unzips his pants. He undresses quickly, efficiently, and Beth has never been so eager to touch him. Her mouth goes dry at the sight of his cock, and before she has any time to process it he’s grabbing her skinny ankle, wrapping his long fingers around the bony flesh and dragging her to the edge of the mattress. She yelps at the sudden movement, and in one jerky movement he’s ripped her panties clean off her hips. 

For a moment they simply stare at each other, both breathing hard, both painfully aroused. 

“Been thinkin’ about how I’d fuck you the first time,” he murmurs, breaking the tense silence. A finger is suddenly teasing her entrance, and he groans at how wet she is. “Like this? With you on your back, legs around my shoulders?” He pushes in a second finger. “From behind? So I can watch your ass bounce?” 

Beth trembles, fucking down on his fingers frantically, desperate for some kind of release.

“Rio,” she moans, tweaking her own nipples. 

“You been teasin’ me so damn long,” he grunts, thrusting three fingers inside her tight cunt, “Maybe I won’t let you come, as a punishment,” 

She nearly cries at the suggestion, shaking her head violently. “No, no, please. I’ll be good now, daddy,” she promises, his preferred pet name easily spilling from her lips. 

“Fuck,” he breathes, curling his fingers inside her, just the way she likes it, but not enough to make her come. 

Suddenly his fingers are gone, and her pussy clenches around nothing. She gasps as they’re replaced by his thick cock, and she squeezes her eyes shut in anticipation. 

“Nah, none of that,” he rasps, “Look at me.” 

Her eyes flutter open, and she sees his face, just inches above hers, his golden chain dangling between them. 

He clocks her every movement as he slowly pushes in, and she gasps at his size. She’d wondered for so long how he’d feel inside of her, and now that he’s only halfway in, and she feels so impossibly stretched, she starts to panic. 

“W-wait,” she chokes out. 

Despite his groan he immediately stills, jaw clenching from sheer restraint. “You ok?” 

She bites her lip. “It’s just a lot,” she whispers, cheeks turning red from embarrassment. And damn, she’s not a virgin. But she’s never been with a man quite so blessed, had only ever been with Dean, and it’s been so long… 

He begins to pull out, and she immediately wraps her legs around his waist in an attempt to keep him close. 

“Elizabeth,” he grunts, “I don’t wanna hurt you.” 

“Just try again,” she pleads. “It doesn’t hurt.” 

This time he does pull out completely, and she whines. He gives her a hard look. “Don’t lie.” 

Her face burns in humiliation. All the teasing, the promises of the wedding night, and now she can’t take his dick; she curses her limited experience.

Taking a breath, she turns over onto all fours. “Maybe… like this?” She wiggles her butt a little to emphasize the point, and is rewarded with the tip of his finger tracing her wet lips. He groans from behind her, and now it’s her turn to smirk. 

“Shit, mami,” he huffs out a laugh. “You’re gonna kill me.” 

His fingers tease and probe, swiping over her aching clit every so often, the other hand palms her ass and smacks  _ hard _ . Beth jerks forward, gasping from the sting. He’s soothing the burn immediately, gently rubbing the sore spot. She settles back into position, leaning forward on her elbows and closing her eyes, humming contentedly as he plays between her legs. 

She’s getting close, her orgasm gathering and she’s right on the edge when… he brings his hand back and smacks her other cheek just as hard. 

“ _ Ow! _ ” Beth yelps, peeking over her shoulder and glaring at a grinning Rio. 

“My bad,” he says, not sounding remotely apologetic. 

And despite the way her ass is stinging, she’s incredibly turned on. Whimpering, she presses her cheek into the mattress as she feels her arousal slip down her inner thighs. 

“I’m ready now,” she moans.

He finally stops teasing, his cock back at her entrance. This time when he pushes forward he easily slides in, and Beth sees stars. 

“Good?” He grunts, hands firm on her hips. 

“ _ Yes.”  _

When he finally bottoms out inside of her, they both groan. Beth’s fingers scramble to hold onto the sheets, knuckles turning white. With as much patience as possible, Rio slowly slides out and pushes back in, letting her pussy stretch to accommodate him. 

A strangled cry rips from her throat, and it sounds like his name, as he begins to set a rhythm, snapping his hips back and forth. One hand fists into her hair, the other sinks into the soft flesh of where her thigh meets her hip. 

His cock is so thick and full inside her, she can barely breathe. And when he picks up the pace, slamming into her with such force the headboard bangs against the wall, she begins to moan in a voice that doesn’t sound like her own. Her words are a mix of his name, curses and  _ yes yes yes _ . 

“Take it, baby,” he grunts, never stopping or changing his pace, “You feel so fuckin’ good. Could live in this pussy.” 

She’s crying into the mattress at this point while he hits the right spot over and over. The fantasies she’d had while lying alone in bed didn’t do justice to the reality, and she’s agreeing with him, would  _ love  _ if he could just live in her pussy, but all coherent thoughts disappear when he thrusts harder and deeper. Her wetness sucks at his cock, and the sound her cunt makes as he rails her is borderline humiliating. 

“Who’s pussy is this?” Rio asks roughly, one palm swinging down to slap her upturned ass. Beth groans in response, and he slaps her other cheek. “Elizabeth.” 

“It’s yours,” she chokes out, “Only yours.” 

“Yeah,” he murmurs in agreement.

She’s keening back against him now, eager to come, and neither of them has touched her clit yet, so she squirrels her hand between her legs, ready to rub herself in just the right way, when her upper arm is yanked away and pinned behind her back. 

“No,” his voice is stern and she could just  _ cry _ , “Your pussy is mine, ‘member? Only I can touch it.” 

All her shame is out the window at this point, and she  _ begs  _ him to let her come, squirms against his hold, but he’s just too  _ strong _ , and then his fingers are between her folds, and he flicks over her slick clit once, twice, and then she’s coming in a silent scream. She can feel her juices coat his cock as she comes, and the sensation is obviously too much for Rio, who bursts as well, his thick seed filling her up. 

“Sh _ it _ ,” he moans, canting his hips further inside her, and she’s never heard him sound so broken up before. 

He stays inside her until he begins to soften, and slowly pulls out, watching as their mixed essences stream down her thighs. He quickly slides a finger through her slit, making her yelp, and pushes the digit into her mouth, forcing her to taste them both. She’s exhausted, but sucks obediently and is reminded of that night in the hotel room. 

Finally she sinks down onto the mattress, stretching her aching arms. Rio flops down on his side and begins tracing light patterns on her back. 

“You straight?” 

She smiles at the gruffness of his voice, clearly just as spent as she is. 

“Yeah,” she replies softly, pressing one side of her face into the mattress and smiling at him. “But I don’t think I can move.” 

He chuckles. “I got you.” 

Beth dozes as he cleans her up, unable and unwilling to move a muscle. She lets her mind drift, and is reminded of when she’d been given laughing gas before getting her wisdom teeth out, how her mind had gone foggy and eyes slipped shut… 

When she wakes up in the early afternoon the next day, Rio pressing firmly against her back, holding her tight, she doesn’t worry about the future, only relishes the present. 

**_Almost One Year Later..._ **

Early morning sunlight streams through the bedroom window. Recently the days had gotten shorter and the nights longer, not that Rio minded. He always preferred to move amongst the shadows. 

But seeing Elizabeth curled up in their bed, the soft light caressing her strawberry hair, giving it an almost golden hue, well, he suddenly has a newfound appreciation for the sun. 

It’s nearly six in the morning, and Rio had to unexpectedly make a trip across the border twelve hours ago. There was a problem at one of his warehouses, he’d gotten a tip that it was going to be raided by the Feds. He’d hauled ass to Canada with his boys, clearing out the fake cash in record time through the underground tunnels. The raid had happened at midnight, and what Rio would have given to be a fly on the wall when that dumbass Fed, Turner, watched his career take a nosedive within seconds as the FBI burst through the front doors to the empty building. 

He smirks to himself. That oughta shake ‘em off his back, send Turner packing back to Baltimore with his tail between his legs. Desk duty for the rest of his career. 

They’ll try again, of course, next time with a different squad, but Rio ain’t too worried. No way in hell they could take down the king. 

He quietly kicks off his shoes and toes them under the bed, hopin’ Elizabeth won’t see them later in the morning and give him hell for tracking imaginary flecks of dirt in the kitchen.  _ Just hire a maid.  _ He’d said, rolling his eyes when he caught Elizabeth angrily running a swiffer over the hardwood. She refused, of course, claiming that she didn’t want to be some lazy trophy wife like her mother, but Rio is convinced it’s just to spite him.

Anyway.

He watches as Elizabeth shifts in her sleep, snuggling further into his pillow. She has her phone lightly clutched in her palm, as if she’d fallen asleep expecting his call. The ring on her left hand flashes as she moves, catching a ray of sun. It’s a different ring this time, but an engagement ring nonetheless. He’d walked her into  _ Tiffany’s  _ a few months prior, the store deserted except for the two of them and an attendant. 

_ Choose _ . He’d said. 

The look on her face was more dazzlin’ than any of the diamonds. 

She didn’t get to pick the original ring, didn’t even have a choice in the marriage. It was his way of telling her she had a choice now. And this time she chose him freely. 

Rio might be a little smug about it. 

His boys teased him endlessly, though. Reminded him at every turn how much he’d bitched about the arrangement in the beginning. They called him whipped. But never once did they make a comment about Elizabeth. They knew she was off limits. 

With Elizabeth’s father in prison for a whole slew of offenses, including arms deals, Rio was able to take over the Greater Detroit Area and nearly double his operation. He set up Elizabeth’s mother and Annie in a new house in the ‘burbs, since the government seized their assets, including the family mansion. Rio had done it without question or prompting. Elizabeth’s family was his family, and he’d grown to love the sassy, youngest Marks daughter. 

Their mother was still a piece of work, though. But one he put up with to keep the peace. Besides, it gives him a sick kind of satisfaction, knowing that John Marks must be absolutely livid that the enemy provides for his family. 

He’s pulled away from his thoughts when Elizabeth mumbles in her sleep, eyebrows furrowing. He thinks about waking her up with his head between her thighs, but as tempting as it is he decides against it, opting instead to shed his clothes and curl up beside her. If only his boys could see him now. They’d have a field day. 

“Rio?” she murmurs as he wraps an arm around her waist, nosing into her sweet-smelling hair. 

“Just a dream.” Rio whispers, because he knows if she fully wakes up she’ll have a million questions, will poke and prod until she gets what she wants out of him. Usually he’s a pretty tight lipped guy, but around Elizabeth he finds himself spillin’ his guts. It’s those damn puppy dog eyes of hers. 

He holds his breath, waiting to find out her final decision. She chooses sleep, and he lets out a sigh of relief. 

Three hours later he’s awoken by the curve of Elizabeth’s ass rubbing against his crotch. He’s already sporting a semi, and bites back a groan. Even in her sleep she insists on seducing him. 

She’s makin’ those little noises again, like the ones she made in the hotel room nearly a year ago. They’re all whimpery and breathless, like she’s dreaming about him fuckin’ her, and now he’s fully hard. 

Rio can’t help himself, thrusting his hips up a little against her ass to get some friction, considers movin’ her panties to the side and slidin’ right in, but then she moans his name, and it sounds like she’s awake. 

“‘Ey, mami,” he grunts, voice hoarse and gravelly from only three hours of sleep. 

Elizabeth hums, rubbing against him more vigorously. Rio mutters out a curse. This woman would be the death of him. 

“You’re home,” she sighs softly, contentedly. It makes Rio’s cold heart clench. 

“Sorry, darlin’. Trip took longer than expected.” She’s so soft and warm against him, he snakes a hand up under her shirt to squeeze her breast, flicking over the nipple gently. 

“Everything okay?” 

He can tell she probably has a thousand questions on the tip of her tongue, judging by the way her body tenses. “All good.” 

She huffs a little at his short answer. “That’s all I get?” 

Rio cracks a smile. She’d set herself up for this one. “You could get on top of this dick, darlin’,” He pushes his hips against hers a little harder to emphasize his point, and his painful hardness. 

“You can’t just distract me with se -  _ oh,”  _ Elizabeth arches as he slides a hand into her panties, tickling her clit. 

She really should have learned by now that he can  _ always  _ distract her with sex. 

“Had a long day. Be a good girl and ride me.” he commands lowly. Usually he prefers being on top, but he’s still exhausted, and right now he wants to watch Elizabeth’s tits bounce. 

She’s moanin’ in no time, bucking against his fingers, already wet from her little dream. 

And just because he rolls onto his back and she settles on top of him, they both know he’s still the one in control. Despite her fiery attitude and icy glares that she gives him day in and day out, she’s naturally submissive in the bedroom, and Rio takes full advantage, using sex and foreplay as a way to punish her for all that defiance. Sometimes taking her over his knee and spanking her ass red, stroking her clit in between smacks until she’s a shaking mess, or roughy fucking her mouth until tears are flowing. These “lessons” never seem to stick, though, and she’s back to her usual, bratty self the next day.

Rio loves it. 

She sinks down on his cock, eyes fluttering shut, not even bothering to take her panties off, just moving them to the side. He remembers the first time they’d fucked, how she could barely take him all the way in, now she takes his dick like a pro. 

“You’re so good, baby,” he praises, knows she absolutely fuckin’ glows under his appreciation. “Such a good girl for daddy.” 

Elizabeth moans, and begins to ride him faster. Rio pulls her shirt up so he can get a nice view of her swinging tits. She gets the hint, and yanks the offending garment over her head, tossing it away carelessly. 

Rio lies back, hands steady and firm on her hips, and enjoys the show. 

He can tell she missed him from the way she bounces up and down on his cock, whimpering and moaning. His little wife is impossibly horny, and who is he to deny her? 

“Can I come, daddy?” she pleads, and  _ fuck _ , already? Rio grits his teeth, his balls nearly exploding at the thought of how close she is after just a few minutes. 

He’s inclined to say no, but he’d been gone the past twenty four hours, and he hates the thought of her bein’ alone and missin’ him. So he easily agrees.

“Come on my cock, baby,” he encourages, thumbing at her clit. 

Rio watches her come apart, her hips stuttering as she finishes, gaspin’ his name and clawing at his chest. 

Flipping her over is easy enough, and he throws her legs over his shoulders, fucking into that tight pussy, chasing his own release. His orgasm washes over him, and he bites her neck as he comes. 

It takes a few minutes for them to catch their breath, and Rio is pleased to see a small bruise beginning to form on her neck. Good. The ring already indicates that she’s his, but he’s a possessive bastard anyway. 

“I missed you,” she whispers, pressing her head against his chest, and Rio feels a pang of guilt. “I was worried.” 

He rubs a hand up and down her back. “I know, mami. I should have called, ‘m sorry.” 

Before Elizabeth, Rio rarely apologized to anyone, and even rarer was when he apologized and actually meant it. Now he finds himself doin’ a lot of new things for her. He knows he’s gonna get an earful later about callin’ to check in when he’s gonna be late, and he’ll take it, then let her ride his face as an apology. 

“I’m just glad you’re okay.” She cuddles further into him, and Rio feels the familiar draw of sleep. 

“You got class today?” Rio murmurs, closing his eyes. 

“Yeah. I have to leave soon,” she replies, cupping his face and placing a soft kiss to his lips. 

“Hm. Take the wagon. It’s gassed up.” 

Another new thing. He never let  _ anybody  _ drive his G Wagon. 

“Okay,” she whispers, and he can tell she’s smilin’, knows she loves it when he gets all sleepy and cuddly and shit. “Sweet dreams.” 

Rio pouts a little when she pushes off the bed, and now it’s his turn to bury his face in  _ her  _ pillow. 

He doesn’t remember his dreams, but doesn’t need to. He’s already got Elizabeth. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! As always let me know your thoughts in the comments <3

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, this one's a wild ride and completely self indulgent. Tell me your thoughts in the comments! 
> 
> I'm on tumblr @wakeupflawless


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